


nothing about you is real

by bapaldeul



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Minor Character Death, Slight fluff, jihoon is kinda mean but he has a reason, might have mentions of blood and injuries later on into the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-09 18:20:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 66,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12281940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bapaldeul/pseuds/bapaldeul
Summary: it only takes jihoon a trip to detention to meet daniel and for his entire life to go downhilla highschool nielwink au!or: that thing where the world hates nielwink being happy together





	1. your blood stained hands

**Author's Note:**

> aa i'm finally starting on a new chaptered fic!
> 
> this is probably A LITTLE angstier than 'baby steps' but i still hope yall like it ;;
> 
> enjoy and please give me your feedback at the end of the chapter thank u <33

Jihoon lets the empty spray can fall from his hands as he takes a few steps back to appreciate his artwork. It looks exactly how he had planned for it to look like when he started planning this a few days ago. Samuel, Jihoon’s only friend, gasps at Jihoon’s masterpiece.

Jihoon smirks as he cocks his head towards the now vandalised picture of the school’s principal. 

“How’d you like it?” Jihoon asks, and he’s not really expecting an answer from Samuel, who looks mortified at how Jihoon has managed to properly destroy the portrait. 

Jihoon thinks he could have done it better, though. Maybe make him look a little more sinister, or he could have written a message for everyone to see. For now, Jihoon thought. This was enough.

Samuel picks up a spray can that Jihoon had thrown away earlier and steps up to the portrait and starts spraying on it. Jihoon only stands back to watch, curious as to what his friend can contribute to his “project”.

Samuel has a cheeky grin plastered all over his face when he steps back to let Jihoon see what he has added to the picture. Jihoon sighs and slaps his forehead when Samuel reveals that he has spray painted a large penis on the principal’s face. 

“Really?” Jihoon questions his friend. “That was the best you could come up with? Come on Sam, we used to do this in middle school.”

Samuel is unbothered by Jihoon’s criticism. He shrugs, and replies, “Now everyone will know what a dickhead he is.”

Jihoon doesn’t bother to react to his friend’s pun, unintentional or not. He starts to bend down and pick up the empty cans to throw them away in the nearby trash can, not eager to cover up his crimes. In fact, Jihoon hopes he’ll be found out. And then maybe he’d be able to tell Kang Yoonseok how much he hates him face to face.

The sun is starting to rise now, the bright rays of sunlight peeking through the windows into the hall where Jihoon and Samuel are. They have an hour or so before students and teachers start coming into the school and discover that their principal’s precious portrait has been destroyed.

“Let’s have some breakfast before school starts,” Samuel suggests and Jihoon nods his head enthusiastically, he was feeling especially good about his so called “crime”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That same morning, Jihoon is sprawled across his desk pretending to be asleep when he’s really eavesdropping on his classmates gossiping about the vandalized portrait in the main hall. Jihoon smiles to himself, and feels a sense of accomplishment. 

Kang Yoonseok was probably fuming now, and Jihoon was sure he knew Jihoon was the mastermind behind this. It felt good to know that Kang Yoonseok was probably frustrated because he wouldn’t be able to touch a single hair on Jihoon.

Jihoon knows the discipline master is going to call him out before he even arrives. Jihoon starts packing his bag nonchalantly when the discipline master strolls into his classroom and asks to speak to his teacher. 

“Jihoon? The discipline master wants to see you,” Jihoon’s teacher says when she returns to the classroom. His classmates turn to look at him, and Jihoon knows exactly what is going through their minds.

Park Jihoon? The quiet boy who never talks to anyone? Getting called out by the discipline master?

Impossible.

“I know,” Jihoon smiles as he swings his bag over his shoulder and walks up to the front of the class. The discipline master merely nods to acknowledge his existence and walks out of the classroom. Jihoon follows, not before he catches Samuel sleeping in his seat. So much for friendship, Jihoon scoffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The discipline master ushers Jihoon into a quiet room just beside the main hall. Strange, he never knew that this room existed. Jihoon half expects Kang Yoonseok to be sitting in the room when he walks in, but isn’t surprised when he and the discipline master are the only ones who will be talking today.

Coward, Jihoon curses under his breath.

The discipline master takes his seat and Jihoon takes his. The discipline master is dressed in a causal button up, and he looks a little older than what Jihoon’s dad would have been. If he was still alive. Jihoon unclenches his fist and flashes an innocent smile at the man sitting before him.

The discipline master doesn’t fall for it. He sighs, and starts talking, “Park Jihoon. I’m only going to ask you once; are you responsible for the vandalism of Mr. Yoon’s portrait in the main hall?”

Jihoon doesn’t even bat an eyelid when he replies.

“Yeah.”

The discipline master looks shocked that Jihoon would confess to the crime so easily, then he narrows his eyes suspiciously at Jihoon. Confusion flashes across his eyes and Jihoon knows he has already won this battle against Kang Yoonseok.

“But… why?” the discipline master fumbles over his words. “Your student record is perfect.”

Perfect grades mean nothing to Jihoon, who has been a genius since he was a kid. Everyone made sure that Jihoon was aware that he was a genius, or a prodigy, as some of them preferred to call him. In fact, Jihoon thinks he’s tired of being the perfect genius that everyone thinks he is.

“You should ask Kang Yoonseok to come here, then I’ll tell you why I did it,” Jihoon answers. The discipline master looks shocked again at Jihoon’s lack of respect for the principal. 

Jihoon’s cool and calm composure is throwing the man off, and Jihoon knows it.

“Well… Mr Kang is busy at the moment, so I’ll be dealing with you. I’ll have you know that we take vandalism very seriously in this school.”

Jihoon scoffs at that statement, he hasn’t even gotten started. This was just the appetizer to the main course he had been planning for. He doesn’t say anything, he only stares at the discipline master with his big, pretty eyes.

“For now, you’ll be subjected to three days of detention. Report to the detention room after your classes starting from today. That will be all,” the discipline master says and dismisses Jihoon.

Closing the door behind him, Jihoon feels like he has somehow lost this battle. He had expected Kang Yoonseok to do something that he thought would make Jihoon fear him – this measly punishment makes Jihoon feel like he and Samuel had wasted their efforts breaking into the school early in the morning.

Kang Yoonseok is afraid of Jihoon – and he has every good reason to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The detention room looks cosy to Jihoon. He’s a little early, and the only people in the room is a plump lady who Jihoon assumes is the teacher that’s on duty that day and a lanky boy sitting in the corner of the room.

Jihoon doesn’t bother greeting the teacher, and the lady looks like she couldn’t give two shits about whether Jihoon greeted her or not. Jihoon decides he likes her already. 

He takes a seat at the other corner at the back of the class, and takes out his comic books from his bag and starts reading. Jihoon laughs to himself at the pathetic punishment, does Kang Yoonseok think he’s done any damage to Jihoon by sending him to a cosy, quiet room?

Jihoon makes a mental note to thank Kang Yoonseok the next time he sees him. The man practically sent him on a vacation.

Half an hour later, Jihoon’s peace is interrupted when a rowdy group of boys make their way into the classroom. There are four of them, all spewing vulgarities as they take their seats at the back of the room. Jihoon rolls his eyes and moves to the front, eager to get away from the noise.

“Holy shit, you should have seen his face when you toppled his table,” Jihoon catches one of the boys saying.

“Yeah,” a different voice agrees. “He looked like he wanted to pee his pants right there and then.”

The boys explode into laughter as Jihoon scoffs. He really shouldn’t be placed in the same room as people like this. They may have broken the school rules in one way or another, but Jihoon knows his is of a different level. Bullies like them didn’t deserve to be in the same room as him, Jihoon thinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon is into his third comic book of the afternoon when he feels a something hit him in the back of his neck. He turns around, annoyed that his peace is broken and finds a flimsy and poorly made paper plane underneath his chair.

“Hey! You over there!” Jihoon’s attention shifts to the group of boys at the back.

“Throw it back to us, will you?” one of the boys with an undercut yell. 

Jihoon starts to doubt that Samuel isn’t the most childish person on this planet anymore. He doesn’t spare the group a second look and turns back to continue reading his comics. 

“What the hell?” one of them curses. “Whatever. Daniel – go fetch it for us.”

A boy with brownish hair hops off the table he was sitting on and approaches Jihoon. Jihoon doesn’t specially turn to look at him, but he sees the boy approaching out of the corner of his eye. The boy stops at Jihoon’s table and bends down to pick up the paper plane. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles before leaving. Jihoon doesn’t acknowledge him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it’s finally 6pm, the teacher tells them they can leave, and the group of boys yell as they make their way out of the room. Jihoon wonders how they have the energy to talk the entire four hours they were in the room as he packs his comics back into his bag and prepares to leave.

The sun is setting, and Jihoon spots Samuel waiting for him at the school gates. He smiles to himself – Samuel wasn’t going to leave him to absolute shit after all. Jihoon wants to call out to Samuel when he sees the previous group of guys cornering another boy just outside the school gates.

Jihoon’s curiosity gets the better of him and he walks closer towards the group of boys. All of them have their backs to him so they don’t notice him. Jihoon notices the boy they’re cornering – it was a skinny boy just a little taller than three of them, except the boy who came to pick up the paper plane earlier on.

Jihoon knows he shouldn’t be meddling with other people’s business, and every inch of his being is screaming at him to ignore them and walk home with Samuel. However, he can’t tear his eyes away from the skinny boy, who looks terrified.

Fuck it, Jihoon thinks. He’s not in the mood to let anyone get bullied in front of his eyes. Jihoon walks up behind the boy who picked up from the paper plane from before.

“Hey-“ Jihoon begins and is immediately cut off.

“Here. We got your wallet back for you. Don’t worry, I don’t think he’ll come after you anymore. You should still be careful though, come to us if he bothers you again.”

Jihoon is shocked when he sees one of the boys hand a wallet back to the skinny boy. The skinny boy grins as his wallet is returned to him and even thanks the boys profusely before walking away. Jihoon is too shocked to walk away, and the boy from before notices him behind them.

“Can I help you?” he asks, and Jihoon, for once, doesn’t know what to say.

The rest of the group is staring him down as well. 

“Uh… Nothing, sorry,” Jihoon manages before turning away and returning to Samuel’s side.

“He’s weird,” Jihoon hears one of the boys say, and his cheeks flush red.

“Forget him. Daniel, we’re having a pizza party at your house today, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.”

Now Jihoon recalls the boy’s name. Daniel. A smile creeps onto his lips without him knowing. Maybe Jihoon the genius was wrong for once.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon’s second day of detention passes like the first. Peaceful, and Jihoon starts to think he’s enjoying detention. After all, he did have four hours to do whatever he liked, without any teachers staring him down.

On his third day, Jihoon’s mood is in the gutter. He had received news from the hospital that his mother’s condition had deteriorated that morning.

Jihoon sighs audibly as he slumps into his usual seat. The quiet boy even lifts his head to look at Jihoon, then back down again at his textbook. Daniel spares him a glance, and so do his friends. Samuel has told Jihoon how obvious he makes it when he’s mad.

“It’s like you’re screaming ‘I feel like shit so don’t talk to me’ to the whole world,” was exactly what Samuel had told him.

And Jihoon agrees. He doesn’t want anyone to talk to him on a shitty day like this. All he wants is to go home and plot on how to properly deal with Kang Yoonseok next. 

His plans for a quiet afternoon are foiled when Daniel and his buddies decide it’s a good idea to start playing loud music and pretend the room is a club. The teacher isn’t even in class to stop them today, and Jihoon is convinced the quiet boy at the other corner is deaf.

It takes approximately five minutes for Jihoon to lose his shit.

Jihoon walks up to the group behind and turns off the music.

“Dude, what the fuck?” one of the guys says and the group turns to glare at Jihoon, Daniel included.

“Don’t ‘what the fuck’ me,” Jihoon replies. “People are trying their best to get through the afternoon without killing some dude that doesn’t know of the existence of earphones.”

“Are you referring to yourself?” Daniel finally speaks up, when the rest of his friends are shocked at Jihoon’s outburst. Jihoon doesn’t know why he’s stereotyped as a quiet boy who was expected to stay put when something annoyed him.

Other than the fact that Jihoon only talks to Samuel.

“I might be,” Jihoon retorts. 

“Aw, come on,” Daniel’s gaze softens, much to Jihoon’s surprise. He was just preparing himself for a head on battle with the group. “Let’s have some fun together.”

Jihoon is visibly irked by Daniel’s tone, and turns to return to his seat.

“Hey, don’t walk away when I’m talking to you,” is what Daniel says before Jihoon feels a strong grip on his arm. He whips his head around to see Daniel holding onto his arm.

“Get. Your. Hand. Off. Me.” Jihoon feels the anger bubbling in the pit of the stomach at the sudden physical contact with this guy he barely knows. No one, not even Samuel was allowed to touch him whenever they wanted.

“I just wanted to have some fun together,” Daniel says, but he lets go of Jihoon’s arm before Jihoon can decide whether he should sock Daniel in the face.

Jihoon is boiling with anger now. How dare this Daniel speak to him like this? 

“Fuck you and your idea of fun,” is all Jihoon says as he sits back into his chair.

Daniel is a pesky cockroach that won’t die, Jihoon notes when Daniel walks up to Jihoon’s seat and slams his hands on the table. Jihoon doesn’t even bat an eyelid when Daniel brings his face closer to Jihoon until their noses are almost touching.

“Pretty boy,” Daniel whispers and Jihoon feels the hair on his arm stand. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

“I don’t,” Jihoon accepts Daniel’s challenge. “And I’m not keen to know either.”

“I think it’s cute when words like that come out of such a pretty mouth of yours,” Daniel continues, and Jihoon resists the urge to punch Daniel again. He thinks better of it. Daniel, whoever the fuck he was, is not worthy of Jihoon’s time.

“Thanks for the compliment,” Jihoon smiles. “But I’m not interested in jerks like you.”

Jihoon pushes Daniel away and walks out of the class before Daniel can say anything else to him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taewoong and Jaehan are super impressed with Daniel’s fiasco with the pretty boy, and they tell Jisung all about it when they gather at Daniel’s house that night.

“And he goes up to the pretty boy – like this close,” Taewoong continues to relate the incident as he and Jaehan attempt to demonstrate how close Daniel and the pretty boy were earlier.

“Gross! Stay away from me,” Jaehan says when Taewoong lingers in front of his face for a second too long and pushes the other away. Jinwoo is only observing the scene unfolding in front of him in amusement – Daniel is convinced he is more interested in the jellies Daniel keeps in his secret drawer.

“Then the pretty boy says, ‘thanks, but I’m not interested in jerks like you’” Taewoong concludes and he and Jaehan simultaneously burst into a fit of laughter. Jisung is laughing too, Daniel is sure it’s more because of Taewoong and Jaehan’s comical remake than Daniel’s actual situation.

Daniel tries to ignore his friends, but he can’t take his mind off the innocent looking pretty boy with a dirty mouth.

“Does he even know who you are?” Jisung asks Daniel when he finally stops laughing.

“Not likely,” Jinwoo speaks up for the first time that night. 

Daniel doesn’t know what the fuss is about, really. He knows his friends are referring to the fact that he is Kang Daniel, the son of the principal of Wanna Be High school, but he honestly can’t care less. Sure, being the son of the principal had its pros, like how no one messed around with him or his friends in school.

Other than that, Daniel didn’t care much for the title. He’s never been close to his father, and he doesn’t think he wants to be.

“I’m interested in this guy, he sounds like a force to be reckoned with,” Jisung says.

“Forget him, hyung” Daniel says. “Who’s up for a round of beer pong downstairs?”

His friends cheer as they follow Daniel down to get wasted for the night. 

“Right, did you hear about your father’s portrait getting destroyed by someone in the main hall?” Taewoong asks after they finish three rounds of beer pong. Jinwoo lost all three rounds, and he’s passed out on Daniel’s bed.

Daniel has heard the gossip and rumours about someone damaging his father’s portrait in the main hall from the students. He thinks it’s pretty funny, actually, that someone is finally putting his father in his place.

“So I heard,” Daniel replies, head buzzing from the alcohol.

“Aren’t you curious to know who’s the person who drew a dick on your dad’s face?” Jaehan sounds offended at Danie’s ‘I couldn’t care less’ tone. 

“I don’t really care,” Daniel admits. “You know how my dad can be a dickhead anyway. It’s about time he had a taste of his own medicine.”

His friends only hum in response. Daniel doesn’t exactly know what his father does for the school, but he’s almost certain he’s involved in some under the table business. As long as Daniel isn’t affected, he doesn’t care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You sure about this?” Samuel flashes Jihoon an uncertain frown as he stands before the large banner that Jihoon has laid out in front of him.

Jihoon nods. It’s been a week since he vandalized Kang Yoonseok’s portrait in the main hall, and he can tell the students are all starting to forget all about it. It was about time for him to proceed to the second stage, anyway.

Before him, the once white banner has been transformed by Jihoon’s artistic ways, once again. 

“May the blood shed by those you brought death upon come back to haunt you.”

These are the words that Jihoon has written in bright, red, paint. He doesn’t specifically mention Kang Yoonseok – just to play with him a little. Jihoon thinks his message has come across well this time though.

“Damn, it’s almost as if you’re calling out Kang Yoonseok and saying, ‘Come get me,’” Samuel says as he helps Jihoon hang up the banner in front of the head office, where Jihoon knows Kang Yoonseok goes to every morning.

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Jihoon grunts as he holds up the other end of the banner and struggles to pin it up on the wall. When the banner is finally put up above the doors of the head office, the two boys brush off the dust on their hands.

“This is fun,” Samuel says as they walk out of the school together. It’s only 4 in the morning, they finished earlier than Jihoon had planned.

“Fun for you who doesn’t have to go to detention later,” Jihoon sighs, knowing he’ll be meeting with the discipline master in a few hours’ time.

“Come on, I’m not the one who has beef with him,” Samuel sighs. “I’m already being a good friend by sneaking out of my house to bring you the supplies you need.”

Jihoon can’t help but agree, Samuel is a good friend. At least you have a house to sneak out of, Jihoon thinks. But he doesn’t say that out loud, because he knows he can’t blame Samuel or anyone else for the state he’s in.

Jihoon only has Kang Yoonseok to blame, and he’s going to make him pay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon isn’t surprised when he enters the detention room and sees the quiet boy sitting at his usual corner again. He wonders what a quiet boy like him could have done to be a regular at detention. Then again, Jihoon isn’t one to pry so he takes his usual seat and starts reading his comics.

Jihoon frowns when he sees a familiar face walk into the room. It’s not one he wants to see, now or in the near future.

Daniel is alone, without his rowdy group of friends this time. When Daniel spots Jihoon, he smiles this stupid smile that makes Jihoon’s stomach churn in disgust.

Jihoon ignores Daniel, not in the mood to start arguing with him again. But to his dismay, Daniel takes a seat beside Jihoon. Jihoon doesn’t respond, he only rolls his eyes and moves three seats away from Daniel.

Again, Daniel proves that he is a cockroach that won’t die no matter how many times you step on him. Daniel doesn’t seem bothered that Jihoon is trying to avoid him, and moves to sit beside Jihoon again.

“What do you want?” Jihoon says, dead-panned, not looking at Daniel.

“I just want to see what you’re reading,” Daniel answers. “Is that Marvel?”

As much as Jihoon hates admitting he’s a genius, he can’t stand it when people act smart to him. And he especially can’t stand the tone Daniel uses when he talks to Jihoon. It’s as if Daniel thinks he can outsmart Jihoon and play whatever stupid game with him.

“It says Marvel Comics on the cover, if you couldn’t fucking read,” Jihoon snaps.

Daniel holds up his hands in defence. “No need to get all feisty on me. I just wanted to be friends.”

“I don’t,” Jihoon replies, flipping another page in his comic.

“You don’t really do friendships, huh?” Daniel smirks, then adds, “Pretty boy.”

“I told you I’m not interested in you,” Jihoon slams his book on the table and stares at Daniel. God, he’s so annoying, Jihoon thinks. Everything on his face irks the shit out of me, Jihoon adds.

“What a shame,” Daniel says pathetically. “I was looking for a pretty boy to be my boyfriend.”

And Jihoon hates the way Daniel speaks down to him, like he’s some type of object. Sure, Daniel might be older than him (Jihoon doesn’t know that for sure) but he has no right to be talking to Jihoon like that.

“Please stop talking to me,” Jihoon sighs. He doesn’t remember the last time he had gotten this exasperated with someone during an argument. Usually, Jihoon is the one who outsmarts the other. 

Finally, Daniel keeps his mouth shut and puts his head on the table and goes to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon starts to regret his decision of pulling pranks on Kang Yoonseok when he sees Daniel stroll into the detention classroom again. Although he wants to torture Kang Yoonseok to his death, Jihoon might hate the idea of being stuck in the same room with Daniel for four hours more.

This time, Jihoon makes sure to take precautionary measures. As soon as he takes his usual seat in the back corner, he takes out his earphones and plugs them into his ears and starts reading.

Daniel is either blind, or fucking stupid. Jihoon doesn’t spare Daniel a glance when the familiar tall boy walks towards him, eager to annoy his favourite pretty boy again. Daniel doesn’t take the hint that Jihoon isn’t in the mood to talk to anyone – especially Daniel.

Jihoon lets out a yelp when Daniel removes his right earphone and plugs it into his own ear.

“What are you listening to?” Daniel teases, and Jihoon is still reeling in from the shock.

“What the fuck?” Jihoon curses when he sees Daniel so close to him. “Give it back!”

“I just want to listen to music with you,” Daniel blinks at Jihoon with that disgusting innocent look plastered all over his face.

Jihoon snatches the earphone back from Daniel, embarrassed that he’s been played again by Daniel.

“Why do you keep bothering me?” Jihoon growls. He knows this isn’t going to be his last time in the detention room, and he’s not about to let some annoying prick destroy his peace here.

“I like your cute reactions when I mess with you,” Daniel replies in a sing-song manner.

Fuck, Jihoon hates how Daniel talks to him like he’s a friend. Jihoon hates (Samuel has told him many times over that hate is a strong word, only meant for people like Kang Yoonseok) Daniel. 

“Well, I don’t,” Jihoon fights back. “So fuck off.”

And Daniel is up in Jihoon’s face again. “Don’t tell me what to do.” His voice is no longer playful, it’s a bit threatening, but Jihoon is not one bit scared of him.

“And don’t talk to me like you know me, asshole,” Jihoon snaps, not backing off even if their faces are almost touching because well, if you back out first, you lose.

“Aw, pretty boy,” Daniel switches back to his playful tone. “Are you going to go home crying to your mommy?”

And Jihoon isn’t thinking straight anymore. His stomach bubbles with anger at the mention of his mother. Jihoon wants to scream at Kang Daniel.

No, I can’t go home crying to my mother because the principal of this fucking school put her in the hospital, and you’re not making my life any better.

Jihoon isn’t one to get physical, he’s only gotten into a couple of fights (like, three) in his life. And those were unintentional. 

Not this time, Jihoon thinks. His fists clench and he closes his eyes before punching Daniel right smack on his left cheek.

This time, it was definitely intentional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon is sitting in front of the discipline master for the third time in two weeks. Except this time, Kang Daniel is sitting beside him, holding an ice pack to his bruised cheek. Jihoon can’t deny that his right fist does hurt a little from the punch as well.

“Fighting! In detention!” the discipline master yells and Daniel jumps. Jihoon stays put in his seat, arms crossed.

“This won’t do, Daniel and Jihoon. I have to do something about this,” the discipline master sits back down and buries his face into his hands. More detention? Demerit points? Jihoon really doesn’t care. He just wants to get out of being in the same room with Daniel.

“For the next week, you will both be cleaning the hall, the sports hall, the library, and the art room for me. Together.”

This time, Jihoon is to one to jump out of his seat at the horrific idea.

A week with Daniel? Jihoon would rather stop pulling pranks on Kang Yoonseok for a month than be stuck cleaning the school with the very boy he had punched out of spite.

“Technically, I was the one who threw a punch at him. He was too much of a pussy-“ Jihoon stops when the discipline master throws him a dirty look for his use of profanity.

“Coward,” Jihoon corrects himself. “He was too much of a coward to hit me back. I don’t see why we have to carry out the punishment together.”

The discipline master grins at Jihoon’s flustered expression, and Jihoon curses at himself for letting his weak spot show so easily.

“Daniel has a lot of things to make up for too, don’t you think?” the discipline master smiles at Daniel, and Daniel only glares at him. 

“But-“ Jihoon starts to argue.

“No buts. The decision is final. You will start tomorrow, meet me at the main hall at 2pm tomorrow,” the discipline master says and dismisses them.

Jihoon can’t help but kick the snack vending machine just outside the discipline master’s office when he closes the door behind him. Daniel was nothing but trouble, and he had just landed himself in cleaning the school together with him for a week.

“What did the machine ever do to you?” a familiar annoying voice takes Jihoon’s attention away from the vending machine.

Daniel looks ridiculous, and Jihoon’s heart swells with pride at the big, purple bruise on his cheek. At the very least, Jihoon did hit him good. Jihoon ignores Daniel and starts to walk away.

“Thanks for attempting to defend me,” Daniel jokes as he follows behind Jihoon.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I still fucking hate you, I just didn’t want to spend any more time with you,” Jihoon responds. 

“You get angry too often for that pretty face of yours,” Daniel teases.

“So I’ve been told,” Jihoon replies, unimpressed. He quickens his footsteps, eager to rid himself of Daniel. Fortunately, Daniel stops chasing after him

“See you tomorrow, pretty boy!” Daniel calls out.

Jihoon should have hit him harder when he had the chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... that's that for the first chapter :/
> 
> how'd you guys find it?
> 
> let me know what you think in the comments, i appreciate every kudos, bookmark and comment u guys leave me <3
> 
> until next time! (it won't take too long, i promise hehe)


	2. send me an angel

Jihoon drags his feet around school the next day and constantly sighs to himself as the time for his punishment grows closer. He had wanted to skip school altogether but figured the discipline master would probably put him through something worse if he did. Although he can’t think of anything worse than having to clean the school with Daniel for four days straight.

“Why the long face?” Samuel asks as they walk out of the cafeteria to their next class together. Jihoon barely touched his food, he wasn’t in the mood to. Jihoon only grunts in response to Samuel’s question.

Samuel looks around before lowering his voice. “Is this because of detention? I thought you liked going to detention, you told me you were enjoying the peace and quiet.”

Jihoon was, in fact, enjoying the serenity of detention before someone destroyed it for him.

Jihoon angrily chucks his drink into the bin as Daniel’s obnoxious face appears in his head again. “I got into a fight because this guy was pissing me off and now I’m stuck with cleaning the school with him for the next four days.”

“Oh my god!” Samuel gasps in shock. Then lowering his voice again, he asks, “Who has had the honour of tasting your sweet fist?”

Jihoon only rolled his eyes in response to his friend’s reaction. “Some asshole.”

As if on cue, a loud group of boys appeared on the other side of the hallway and were walking towards the two friends. Jihoon (unfortunately) made eye contact with Daniel from afar, and grabbed Samuel to walk the other way.

“Hey pretty boy! Slow down,” Daniel calls out and runs up to Jihoon before he can make Samuel walk away. Jihoon wants badly to give Daniel another punch, but holds back in case he lands himself in something worse. 

Daniel’s school tie is loose and his shirt is untucked, like any stereotypical bad boy wannabe in high school. Jihoon can’t help but scoff at his messy appearance, no wonder Daniel was in detention all the time. 

“Let’s go, Sam,” Jihoon says, not sparing Daniel another glance. 

Daniel is unbothered, and waves at Samuel before turning back to face Jihoon, “See you later! Don’t be late!”

Jihoon is fuming, all he’d wanted was to torture Kang Yoonseok and get away with detention. Now, he had an annoying senior on his back and less time to plan for his next prank. 

“I can see why you hate him,” Samuel says when Daniel and his friends are finally out of their side. He adds, “And I can’t wait for you today, I have homework to do.”

Jihoon smirks, and pinches his friend’s cheeks jokingly, “Our little Sammy needs to do his homework?”

“Shut up, I’m not a child genius like you are. I actually have to work hard for good grades,” Samuel says as he swats Jihoon’s hand away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon is stuck eyeballing the discipline master in the main hall at 2pm as they both wait for the arrival of Daniel. Jihoon is positive Daniel is coming in late just to piss him off because the discipline master did tell them they both had to be present to carry out the punishment.

Daniel strolls in at exactly 2:15pm and Jihoon is ready to choke him. He smiles and waves, if there was an inch of his being that felt guilty for coming in late, he didn’t show it.

All the discipline master does is nod when Daniel finally joins them. He hands the two boys brooms.

“You can start by sweeping, then mopping. After that, wipe all the windows – you can use the ladder if you need,” at this point, the discipline master is grinning as he looks at Jihoon, “And you can finish off by cleaning Mr Kang’s portrait.”

Jihoon’s gaze trails to a new, unvandalized portrait of Kang Yoonseok being put up near the stage. His blood boils at the thought of having to clean, or even go close to his portrait. Kang Yoonseok was taking his revenge now. 

The discipline master walks out and leaves Jihoon with Daniel alone in the main hall.

“I’ll do this half, you can do the other half,” Jihoon instructs as he starts sweeping. He only wants to finish this as quickly as possible and go home. 

“Why can’t we do it together? It’ll be faster,” Daniel agues.

“I want to distance myself from you,” Jihoon says as he continues to sweep up the dust on the floor.

Daniel only laughs in response, much to Jihoon’s annoyance. “Why do you hate me so much?”

You’re nosy, you’re annoying and you keep trying to get close to me, Jihoon thinks. But he doesn’t say it out loud, because he knows he’s only setting himself up for a conversation if he answers Daniel.

They both manage to sweep and mop in silence without starting another argument or going at each other’s faces. When it comes to wiping the windows, Daniel offers to clean the upper windows with the ladder.

“Only because I don’t want you to fall and be a nuisance when I have to bring you to the nurse,” Daniel assures when he sees Jihoon’s disgusted expression. Jihoon only nods in response and proceeds to start cleaning the windows – which look like they haven’t been cleaned in years.

“Be careful,” Jihoon unconsciously mutters when Daniel steps onto the ladder. Daniel might be annoying, but Jihoon didn’t want to see any bones broken today. Daniel doesn’t hear him, which Jihoon thinks is a relief.

Jihoon decides that Daniel isn’t that bad when he has his mouth shut. He’s a fast worker, unlike what Jihoon had expected. He had expected Daniel to be lazy and he would make Jihoon do all the work.

“I really don’t mean to piss you off when I say this,” Daniel says after they scrub the windows for half an hour, “But why are you in detention all the time? What did you do?”

There he goes again, Jihoon thinks, trying to meddle in other’s business.

“What about you?” Jihoon asks, deliberately not answering Daniel’s question. He had planned not to talk to Daniel the entire day, but he can’t help but be curious about what Daniel did to land himself in detention all the time.

“I’ve done many things – but mainly fighting,” Daniel says almost immediately, then quickly adds, “I’m not a bully though! I help others.”

Jihoon would have scoffed at Daniel if he didn’t see him handing the wallet back to the skinny boy a week ago. Still, he doesn’t know how Daniel can be so proud of hurting others, even if it’s for a better good.

“I’m sure there are better ways of resolving conflicts,” Jihoon says.

“Says the one who socked me in the face,” Daniel retorts.

“You were being rude and intruding into my privacy,” Jihoon explains, and it takes him a few seconds to realise that he’s just had a proper conversation with someone other than Samuel for the first time in months. Furthermore, he’s talking to Kang Daniel – and he hasn’t ripped his head off yet.

Daniel is silent for a moment, and Jihoon prepares himself for Daniel to start being annoying again. All Daniel says is, “Okay. I apologize. I just wanted to be friends with you.”

“Sorry,” Jihoon says. “I don’t really do that ‘friend’ thing. And I’m not just saying this to piss you off.”

Jihoon doesn’t know what’s wrong with him. When it comes to new people, he constantly has his guard up and does everything he can to push them away. To Jihoon, the fewer friends he has, the less of a chance he gets hurt.

Daniel only hums in acknowledgement, and climbs down the ladder when he finishes cleaning the last window. 

“Let’s just finish up with the portrait and go home,” Daniel says, walking towards the portrait hanging on the wall.

Jihoon’s fists clench as he nears the portrait, and feels his breathing quicken when he looks at it. Daniel starts to clean, but Jihoon stays behind.

He can’t clean Kang Yoonseok’s portrait, not when he was the very person that vandalized it a week ago. To Jihoon, cleaning his portrait is akin to conceding defeat.

“What are you doing?” Daniel asks, annoyed that Jihoon wasn’t helping out.

“Nothing,” Jihoon says, gulping nervously. He can almost see the scene in front of him again. The blood, the wounds, and the broken bones. He can hear the police sirens surround him again.

“You look pale,” Daniel says and touches Jihoon’s forehead, which makes Jihoon jump back. “Are you having a fever?”

“Don’t touch me,” Jihoon snapped as he slapped Daniel’s arm away. “I’m fine.”

Daniel looks offended by Jihoon’s rejection, but only says, “If you say so,” and returns to cleaning. Jihoon chews on his bottom lip, he was overreacting again.

Jihoon’s eyes start to water as he finally steps forward to help Daniel. His head is spinning, and his vision blurs as the tears start to block his vision. The memories from the night were coming back once again; they always did when Jihoon thought he had gotten rid of them.

“I think we’re done, we can leave now – Are you crying?” Daniel breaks Jihoon’s train of thoughts and Jihoon looks up. Daniel is staring at him, half confused and half concerned. Jihoon feels a tear slide down his cheeks and quickly wipes it away with his shirt sleeve.

“I’ll get going,” Jihoon manages, he grabs his bag and leaves before Daniel can ask him anymore questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel’s friends are playing Xbox when he returns to his room after his ‘punishment’. He doesn’t bother asking how they managed to get into his room without a key, he figured his mother must have opened the door for them.

“It’s the man himself!” Taewoong announces when Daniel enters his room. “How was cleaning with the pretty boy?”

Terrible. Daniel would give it a 3/10 rating. Just when he thought they were on friendly terms, the pretty boy acted up again and left without even saying goodbye.

“Don’t even talk about it,” Daniel groans as he throws his bag to the side and plops onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow.

“I asked around, about the pretty boy,” Jisung says, and as much as Daniel wants to act like he doesn’t care, he’s interested. Just yesterday, he had punched Daniel in the cheek and today, he started crying out of nowhere.

Daniel sits up, now focusing his attention on Jisung instead of his friends screaming at each other over a game.

“His name is Park Jihoon,” Jisung starts out by saying. “Also, everyone says he’s practically a genius. He’s had perfect grades ever since he came out of his mother’s womb.”

Daniel wanted to sigh, it was no wonder everything pretty boy (Jihoon*) said made him sound like a smart ass. “Go on,” he encourages Jisung.

Jisung frowns as he tries to recall everything, “Honestly, everyone I asked said he never really talked to anyone expect that friend of his. He keeps to himself all the time, so, yeah.”

“Why would a perfect student like him be sent to detention?” Daniel wonders aloud.

Jisung claps his hand as if Daniel had hit the nail on the head, “Exactly! No one knows why he got sent to detention. His classmates said when he was called out by the discipline master, and get this, he was smiling.”

Daniel frowns, frustrated. He knows it’s practically none of his business, but there’s something about Park Jihoon that makes Daniel want to find out more about him. Also, a small part of him feels guilty about seeing Jihoon cry, it’s as if he’s seen something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Ahh…” Daniel kicks his bedsheets in frustration and rolls over on his stomach. “I want to sleep; can’t you guys go home early tonight?”

“It’s only 9pm,” Jisung shoots him a strange look. “What are we going to do if we go home so early? Do our homework?”

Daniel groans as he starts to feel the ache in his back, arms, and legs; the cleaning had strained him more than he thought he would, and he had three days more to go. He sits up to massage his legs and wonders if Jihoon’s muscles are aching as well. 

Fuck, I must be crazy, Daniel thinks. Why was he letting his mind trail to the boy who so obviously hated him? And not to mention – be the first person to punch Daniel in the cheek.

“Did you guys hear about the banner that was hung above the head office last week? I got goose bumps looking at the pictures?” Jisung asks and shudders.

“I did. I mean ‘May the blood shed by those you brought death upon come back to haunt you’? Sounds super shady to me,” Taewoong comments, then looks at Daniel who is still massaging his legs and adds, “You sure your dad didn’t kill someone? This person seems pretty pissed with him.”

Daniel had heard about this a few days ago, first from the gossips and rumours in school. The second time this topic was brought up was when his dad came home yesterday and he had eavesdropped on his parent’s conversation.

“You sure you don’t want to press charges against this person?” Daniel’s mother had said in a hushed voice. 

“No. It’s fine, I don’t want any trouble,” Daniel’s father had replied. And that was all Daniel had heard before he returned to his room. He wasn’t interested in whatever dirty business his father was up to.

“Don’t you think it’s awesome though?” Jisung continues. “Something has to be going on, otherwise why would your dad let the mastermind off so easily?”

“I must say; the way they’re calling your dad out makes them look pretty cool, whoever they are,” Jaehan says as he puts down the Xbox controller in his hand.

“Sorry, I know I’m literally complimenting the person who’s terrorizing your dad,” Jaehan adds.

Daniel shrugs, “No biggie. You guys know I don’t really care.”

He lies down on his bed again, and his friends start yelling about the game they’re playing again. Jisung is furiously typing on his phone, but all Daniel can think about is the pretty boy that ran away in tears. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon doesn’t mention anything about his crying incident from the previous day when they clean the sports hall together the next day. Daniel doesn’t want to pry either. 

The sports hall reeks of sweat and unwashed equipment and Daniel scrunches his nose as he tries shifting the sit-up mats back to the equipment room. Daniel steals a glance at Jihoon who had been silently mopping the floor since they had started. He notices that Jihoon sticks his tongue out when he’s focused on something.

“That’s cute,” Daniel thinks before slapping himself. His cheek sings, from Jihoon’s punch and his self-inflicted slap. He was losing his mind, and tried focusing on moving the mat again. Unfortunately, this mat weighed more than Daniel could manage; there was no way he could carry ten of these himself.

Daniel clears his throat before calling out, “Uh… Jihoon?”

Jihoon’s head snaps up and his eyes meet Daniel at the mention of his name. Daniel can’t help but feel intimidated by Jihoon’s piercing stare.

“Could you help me carry these to that room?” Daniel asks, pointing to the equipment. Jihoon nods subtly, then puts his mop down before walking to Daniel and helping him lift the mat.

“How do you know my name?” Jihoon asks, and Daniel almost drops the mat out of shock at the unexpected question.

“I uh…” Daniel racks his brain for an answer before pointing at the name tag on Jihoon’s shirt. “I saw that last week?”

Daniel mentally gives himself a pat on the shoulder for coming up with a genius answer in such a short period of time. 

“If you knew my name why’d you keep calling me pretty boy?” Jihoon questions when they put the mat down in the equipment room, which is dusty and smelly, Daniel observes. Daniel made a mental note to let the school board know that it needed some cleaning the next time his dad invited them over for dinner.

Daniel almost chokes on his saliva at Jihoon’s second question. 

Because you’re pretty? Daniel’s brain instinctively answers. He almost lets the exact words escape his mouth, then thinks of Jihoon’s fist and decides otherwise.

“I wanted to annoy you,” Daniel mumbles.

Jihoon frowns, and Daniel wonders where the vulnerable and teary-eyed Jihoon from yesterday has disappeared to. It had been replaced with feisty, bratty and short-tempered Jihoon again.

“And why don’t you call me hyung? I’m older than you,” Daniel comments as they lift the second mat. Jihoon might be smaller and shorter than Daniel, but he had quite a bit of strength in that tiny body of this. (Again, the punch)

Jihoon rolls his eyes, “We don’t even know each other that well. I’d prefer not to call someone I’m not familiar with ‘hyung’.”

Daniel should feel offended and angry at Jihoon’s blatant disrespect for his elders, but he isn’t. Instead, he’s intrigued. There was something charming about Jihoon’s attitude that made Daniel grin in response.

“What are we then?” Daniel asks, and this time it’s Jihoon whose eyes grow wide with surprise.

“W-what?” Jihoon sputters, which makes Daniel smile again. It’s time he caught the sharp-tongued Park Jihoon off guard.

“I said, what are we? Park Jihoon, I want to know what kind of relationship we are in.”

This is when Daniel stops walking, and Jihoon is forced to stop in his tracks too. They’re both sweaty from the physically draining cleaning in the humid sports hall, but Daniel swears Jihoon’s ears weren’t red before.

“I like to think we’re enemies,” Jihoon says, not breaking eye contact with Daniel. “Because I really hate you.”

Enemies, huh? Daniel finds that interesting too and laughs to himself. They move the remaining mats in silence and dust their hands when they finish. Jihoon is sweating profusely by then, and Daniel instinctively hands him a towel.

“Forget it,” Jihoon snaps. “I don’t want anything from you.”

Daniel only smiles at Jihoon’s rejection. Jihoon walks out of the hall, his bag slung over his shoulder and doesn’t even spare a second glance at his cleaning partner. Daniel doesn’t mind, though. This is the most fun he’s had in his three years of high school.

“See you tomorrow, enemy!” Daniel calls out and waves even though he knows Jihoon doesn’t see him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Jihoon had to pick a place in school to clean with Daniel, it would be the library, so his mood isn’t that bad when he meets Daniel at the entrance of the library the next day. He had figured that the only day Daniel wouldn’t attempt to talk to him was when they were at the library. 

“Ready to kick some ass today, enemy?” Daniel smirks when he comes up behind Jihoon. Jihoon doesn’t respond, and he regrets everything about answering Daniel’s question about what they were the previous day. He wasn’t planning to respond, he just blurted whatever he was thinking of.

Whatever, fuck him, Jihoon thinks. After today, he only has one day left, and he’ll finally be free from Daniel.

The head librarian gives them a pile of books to arrange, and Jihoon immediately brightens up when he realises they’re given books from separate genres to arrange – which means he’ll be far away from Daniel the entire day.

“See you later, alligator,” Daniel cheerfully says as he carries his books up to the second floor. Jihoon doesn’t reply.

Jihoon has to thank the discipline master for giving them this punishment – the library is quiet and peaceful, just the way Jihoon likes things to be. Also, he was feeling inspired from the number of book synopsis he’d read the past two hours.

The ladder the librarian gives Jihoon to use to reach the higher shelves creak as Jihoon steps on it. He looks around, embarrassed that he’s disturbed the peace in the library. Fortunately, no one turns to give him dirty looks.

Jihoon slots the book in his hand into the top shelf, then spots an interesting looking book next to it. He picks it up, and starts reading the synopsis. 

“I might even come back to borrow this book,” Jihoon thinks as he slots it back. His left foot is halfway down from the top step when Jihoon feels someone poke his waist. Yelping from the sudden contact, Jihoon feels his foot slipping.

Everything happens in slow motion. Jihoon knows he’s slipping, but he can’t do anything to stop it. He wants to put out his hands to break his fall, but he knows it’s too late. He’s going to break his front teeth and embarrass himself in front of everyone in the library.

A pair of steady hands grab Jihoon’s waist before he can fall to the ground. Jihoon pants from the shock, and his hands are trembling. 

“Thank-“ Jihoon turns to thank his hero and is shocked when he sees Daniel looking down at him. 

Jihoon should be thinking about how much he wants to scream at Daniel for scaring him and practically almost sending him to his death, but he doesn’t. He wants to pry Daniel’s hands off his waist and call him a pervert, but he doesn’t.

Because Daniel, as much as Jihoon would hate to admit, looked mesmerizing from up close. And his steady hands made Jihoon feel safe.

“You okay?” Daniel asks in a hushed whisper. Jihoon can’t stop looking at Daniel, and feels his cheeks flush as Daniel continues to stare at him with those goddamned beautiful eyes of his.

As if waking up from a dream, Jihoon finally returns to reality and jumps out of Daniel’s grip. 

“What the fuck was that? I could have fell and died,” Jihoon wants to yell at Daniel, but remembers they’re in a library.

All Jihoon does is to continue staring at Daniel. Did he look like this before? Because Jihoon could have sworn Daniel didn’t look this… Jihoon gagged as the word popped into his brain. 

Handsome.

“You okay?” Daniel steps up to shake Jihoon by the shoulders. “Don’t scare me.”

Jihoon closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before talking, but his voice is shaky, “I’m f-fine.”

All the warning signals in Jihoon’s brain go off, all the voices in his head are screaming at him to curse at Daniel, frown, or do something more Park Jihoon, anything except staring at Daniel like that.

“Okay,” Daniel nods. “Sorry for startling you. I just wanted to ask if you needed help, because I finished with my section.”

Right, arranging the books. That’s what they were here for. Jihoon’s fingers comb through his hair as he tries to get his emotions straight before talking again.

“Y-yeah. You can take half of these,” Jihoon mumbles as he hands a stack of books to Daniel. Then he adds a, “Thanks”. Daniel gives him a weird look, but leaves with the books in his hands.

Thanks? Jihoon curses. Why would he thank Daniel, the person that landed him this punishment in the first place?

The library is air-conditioned, but Jihoon’s face feels strangely hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon runs the conversation in his mind a few hundred times in his mind before walking around the library to look for Daniel after he finishes arranging his stack of books. 

His mind goes blank when he spots Daniel from afar. Daniel doesn’t even need to use a ladder to reach the top shelf. All he does is tiptoe and stretch his long arms to slot the books in. 

Jihoon tries to get back his normal tone when he approaches Daniel. “I’m done. Can we go now?”

Daniel doesn’t even blink when Jihoon snaps at him. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

There is nothing Jihoon can come up with when they walk out school together. He is utterly embarrassed that he would show such a weak and vulnerable side of himself to Daniel like that. Deep down, he’s grateful that Daniel is decent enough not to talk about it in his face.

“Which way are you going?” Daniel finally breaks the deafening silence between the two when they reached the school gates. 

Jihoon is sure he isn’t thinking when he points in the direction of his home, “That way. Just a few blocks down.”

“I’m uh… heading that way too. Should we walk together?” Daniel suggests. 

Jihoon wants to say no. He wants more than anything to tell Daniel to stay away. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Jihoon mumbles. Now more than ever, he wishes Samuel would pop up from behind a bush and walk home with Jihoon. 

Instead, he and Daniel walk side by side, in silence. This is the worst idea Jihoon has ever agreed to ever since he was born. Just a few days ago, he’d punched this guy in the cheek and left a bruise. Yet, a few days later, he’s walking home with the same boy.

Jihoon stops when they reach a crossroad on the hill. 

“I’m going this way,” Jihoon says as he points to the left road.

“Alright, I’m going up there,” Daniel points in the opposite direction.

Jihoon nods, then doesn’t know what to do next. Did enemies say goodbye to each other? Did enemies even walk home together?

Jihoon is thankful when Daniel says, “See you tomorrow!” and leaves. Jihoon recognises that part of the neighbourhood – it was where the rich families stayed. He’d seen a few expensive cars drive up that street a few times. Of course, he wasn’t the least bit surprised. Everything about Daniel screamed that he was well to do.

Meanwhile, Jihoon was afraid he would soon run out of savings to pay his rent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon hears a knock on his door and he knows it’s the landlord lady without even opening it.

His landlord is a nice person, Jihoon admits. She was a petite lady, slightly older than his parents. She wore an embarrassed look on her face when Jihoon opened the door. They both knew what she was here for.

“Jihoon, I’m so sorry to be saying this. I know what kind of financial state you’re in, but I can’t drag this out any longer. About this month’s payment…” she trails off, and Jihoon gets the hint. In fact, he knows that he’s owed about two months’ worth of rent.

“No, no. It’s okay. I’m sorry for being so late, I’ll get it to you by the end of this week, I promise,” Jihoon bows apologetically. 

“Okay,” his landlord says. “You know, if you ever need help, I’m sure the school would help if you let them know of your situation.”

Jihoon’s fists clench at the mention of his school. Like hell Kang Yoonseok would help him. He was the one who had landed him in this state anyway. 

“I’m sorry. And thank you,” Jihoon says again. “By the end of this week.”

Jihoon shuts the door behind him before his landlord can say anything else.

Jihoon had been living on his parent’s savings ever since the accident. He probably had to quit school soon to start working if he ever wanted to pay his rent. Borrowing from Samuel was out of the question, he already owed Samuel money from the previous time.

Sighing, Jihoon opened another packet of instant noodles he kept in his cupboard. Then he remembered he was behind on his bills, and didn’t have gas anymore.

His stomach grumbled, and he decided on raw instant noodles. After all, it would be the same as cooked ones when they entered his stomach anyway.

Jihoon isn’t sure when he starts crying. He probably looks pathetic crying as he munches on raw noodles, but he doesn’t care. He’s been alone in this house for months anyway.

“Please, God,” Jihoon prays as the tears slide down his cheeks. “If you have any angels left, send one to me.”

Jihoon then laughs bitterly. He isn’t religious, but he’s desperate.

He’s sure someone like him wouldn’t be worthy of any god’s angels anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAA i apologize in advance for all the pain i'm going to put you through (you are allowed to scream @ me) ;;
> 
> please stay with me though i have so much planned out for this story! :(
> 
> comments are always welcomed i love reading all your reactions they keep me motivated to update <3


	3. you've started a storm in my heart

The last day of Daniel’s cleaning punishment arrives faster than what he’d like it to. After his last class, he packs his bag quickly and rushes out of the classroom even before the teacher dismisses them. He finds the art room easily, and is pleased to find out that Jihoon is already there.

“Sorry I’m late, the teacher held my class back,” Daniel says as he enters the class. Jihoon nods at him, and Daniel is satisfied. Over the past four days, Daniel has gotten used to Jihoon’s cold responses and his sharp tongue. 

To his surprise, Jihoon says something first, “You can start packing up the things on that side.”

The art room is messy, there are cardboards and paper strewn all over the floor. The tables are packed with paint brushes and broken pencils. Daniel starts by getting rid of the paper on the floor. He yelps when he touches something wet. Lifting the piece of paper he was holding, Daniel finds his fingers stained with white paint.

“Damn,” Daniel mutters and makes a mental note to wash it later. He steals a glance at Jihoon who is busy arranging the paint bottles by colour on the other side of the room. 

“He’s practically a genius,” Jisung’s voice rings in Daniel’s head. Daniel wonders if a genius’s brain works differently from normal people. And he’s still curious about what Jihoon had done to land himself in detention.

“What are you staring at?” Jihoon’s voice breaks Daniel’s train of thought. He fumbles with the paper in his hand, trying to come up with an excuse. Anything was better than answering, “I was staring at you.”

To Daniel’s shock, Jihoon laughs. For the first time in history, Daniel is witnessing (bitter, angry, rude, short-tempered, always frowning) Park Jihoon laughing. It’s kind of beautiful; from the way Jihoon’s big eyes crinkle when he smiles to the melodic laughter that comes out of Jihoon’s mouth.

Then Daniel realises how creepy this whole situation is. How could Park Jihoon be frowning and laughing one second later? Jihoon slowly walks over to where Daniel is standing, and Daniel thinks he’s met his end. He’s angered Park Jihoon and he’s trapped in a room with nowhere to run. 

“Anytime now,” Daniel takes a few steps back when Jihoon steps closer to him. He’s expecting Jihoon to take out anything, a knife, a gun or even a scissors and hold it to his head.

“Kang Daniel,” Jihoon would say, with an evil grin on his face. “I told you not to mess with me. This is what you get when you piss me off.” And Daniel would meet his end.

“Dear God,” Daniel whispers to himself. Jihoon has cornered him to the wall now, and he has nowhere to run. It would be futile to scream for help, it’s too late for anyone to save him. 

“If you let me live I’ll let Jinwoo eat jellies out of my secret jelly drawer and I won’t scream at Taewoong for a week. Heck, I’ll let Jaehan win on Mario Cart – I’ll even entertain Jisung by listening to all his gossip – please let me live.”

“The fuck are you on?” Jihoon snaps and Daniel opens his eyes. His hands are trembling, and his breath is shaky. Jihoon uses his finger to wipe something off Daniel’s cheeks and walks away nonchalantly, leaving Daniel traumatized.

Jihoon turns back to face Daniel, and lifts his finger. “You had paint on your face.”

Oh. So Jihoon wasn’t going to kill him. 

Daniel is thoroughly embarrassed, and uses his hand to cover his cheeks. He takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down. 

“Thanks? I guess?” Daniel finally gets a hold of his emotions. Park Jihoon was so weird – why would he sock Daniel in the face and wipe paint off his face days later?

“Whatever. You were acting like I was going to hold a gun to your head or something, you’re actually really fucking weird you know?” Jihoon comments as he returns to arranging the paint bottles. Daniel knows Jihoon might actually consider killing him after what he’s about to do, but he can’t help it. 

Daniel let his finger stained with wet paint hover beside Jihoon’s left cheek. Thankfully, Jihoon was so focused on his work that he didn’t realise Daniel standing beside him.

“Hey,” Daniel says, tapping Jihoon’s left shoulder. Jihoon turns, and his cheek immediately meets Daniel’s paint stained finger, which sends Daniel into a fit of giggles.

“How old are you?” Jihoon glowers, and Daniel thinks if Satan had a human form, he would look exactly like what Jihoon looked like now. 

“I’m sorry,” Daniel says in a meek voice. “I wanted to play.”

“Play? Am I your fucking playmate or something? You wanna come to my house after we clean this up and play with dolls?” Jihoon yells as he tries getting the paint off, but ends up staining his face with more pain.

Daniel steps up to help, and Jihoon immediately steps backward, “Don’t! You’ll only make it worse.”

Jihoon finally gets the paint out of his face, but he’s still red from anger. 

“Come here,” Jihoon growls at Daniel, who is hiding behind a table. Daniel steps out, embarrassed and terrified at how natural Jihoon is at ordering him around. Jihoon dips two of his fingers into wet paint and starts using Daniel’s face as a canvas.

Daniel grimaces when the cold paint meets his cheeks. 

“Don’t move,” Jihoon threatens, and Daniel concedes defeat. He stands there and lets Jihoon draw on his face. Daniel’s eyes flicker downwards, where he sees Jihoon standing on his tippy toes just to reach Daniel’s forehead. 

“Okay. You can go now,” Jihoon says when he finishes. “And don’t even think about washing it off.”

Daniel uses his camera as a mirror, and is shocked to find out that Jihoon is actually pretty good at drawing. He has three cute whiskers on both of his cheeks, and a cute red nose. He’s about to compliment Jihoon when he realises the words Jihoon had written on his forehead.

“Loser?” Daniel choruses.

“I wrote what I wrote,” Jihoon says, crossing his arms. “Now get back to work, I want to go home.”

Jihoon goes back to cleaning, and Daniel chuckles when he looks at himself again. It’s not as bad as he thought it would be. This punishment was turning out to be a reward instead.

When they finally finish cleaning up the art room, they collapse onto the chairs from exhaustion. Four continuous days of cleaning has thoroughly tired Daniel out; no matter how fit he’d claim to be in front of his friends.

Suddenly, the sky crackles with lightning and immediately follows up with a loud boom of thunder. Heavy drops of rain start to fall from the already dark sky and strong winds start to blow.

“Fuck,” Daniel hears Jihoon curse under his breath.

“Do you have an umbrella?” Daniel asks.

Jihoon only picks up his bag. “What’s it to you?”

“I could walk you home, I have an umbrella,” Daniel offers. He knows Jihoon lives a street away from him, he had sneaked a glance when they parted ways tomorrow.

“Forget it, I don’t want to share anything with you,” Jihoon says and walks out of the art room, leaving Daniel alone again. 

Daniel follows Jihoon, but Jihoon is quick on his feet and disappears out of Daniel’s sight when Daniel turns off all the lights in the art room and tries to look out for him. The thunderstorm only worsens when Daniel steps out of school, and he can barely see anything in front of him.

“Did he walk home without an umbrella in this storm?” Daniel wonders and tries looking out for Jihoon. To his relief, Daniel sees a small figure just ahead of him using his schoolbag to shield himself from the rain. 

His legs carry him through the raging storm to Jihoon, who is drenched. Daniel grabs Jihoon’s arm, and even in the heavy rain, he can still see Jihoon scowl at him.

“Are you crazy?” Daniel yells. “Share this with me, or take it. I won’t have you walking home in this type of weather.”

Jihoon wriggles out of Daniel’s grip, “I don’t want to. Why do you care so much anyway?”

“I really don’t want to start an argument in the middle of a thunderstorm,” Daniel replies and pulls Jihoon under the umbrella. “Don’t move. I’m walking you back and that’s final.”

Jihoon tries escaping again when another lightning strikes and the thunder follows, forcing Jihoon to take shelter under Daniel’s umbrella again. 

“Fine,” Jihoon finally relents. “But I don’t owe you anything.”

“Of course,” Daniel says and they walk in silence in the rain. Daniel can feel Jihoon shivering, his clothes are completely soaked and so is his bag. He instinctively tilts the umbrella towards Jihoon’s side to block the rain from coming in. He feels the rain drenching his right shoulder, but he doesn’t care.

“You live here?” Daniel asks when they reach a three-story house. 

“I live on the roof,” Jihoon’s teeth chatter as he points to the rooftop, where Daniel spots a small apartment.

“Okay, be careful on the steps. They’re slippery,” Daniel warns as Jihoon starts climbing up the stairs. The stairway isn’t wide enough for both to climb side by side, so Daniel follows behind Jihoon. Daniel holds the umbrella over Jihoon’s head, and feels the rain soaking his hair.

They reach the rooftop and Jihoon stops cold in his tracks. 

“Go in,” Daniel urges, but Jihoon isn’t listening to him anymore, he’s too busy staring at the lady standing outside his house.

“Jihoon…” she says when she sees Jihoon. “I’m sorry, I know I gave you till the end of the week-“

Suddenly, Jihoon remembers Daniel’s existence and quickly turns to face Daniel. “You can go now. And… thank you.”

Daniel gets the hint and takes his leave, but can’t help but stop on his way down the steps. He knows eavesdropping is wrong, but there’s something about Jihoon’s tone that makes him stop. 

“Can’t you give me till the end of the week? I already promised you,” Daniel hears Jihoon saying, his voice shaky from the cold. This isn’t angsty, cold, Jihoon. Jihoon’s tone is pleading.

He sounds… desperate.

“I’m sorry, Jihoon,” Daniel assumes it’s the woman speaking now. “But the new tenant wants to move in by the end of the week. If you can’t pay up by tomorrow you have to move out.”

Daniel only hears heavy rain surrounding the rooftop after that.

Finally, Jihoon speaks again, “Okay. I understand. I’ll try to get the money by tomorrow, or I’ll move out myself.”

Daniel’s heart clenches at the sudden realization of Jihoon’s situation. He tries to walk away and pretend like he didn’t hear anything, but he can’t. Nothing Park Jihoon does is his business, and he shouldn’t try to play hero.

“Okay, Jihoon. I’m sorry. Also… you’re behind on your bills. So there won’t be warm water for you today, I’m really sorry.”

Nothing about this is making Daniel feel better. Jihoon just walked through a thunderstorm, his clothes were soaked and his teeth were chattering when he spoke. To not allow Jihoon to take a warm bath was just… wrong. He almost loses his step when he hears someone coming down the steps.

It’s the woman from before, and she looks surprised to see Daniel still at the steps.

“Walk away, Kang Daniel,” Daniel tells himself “It’s none of your business. You already walked him home, that’s all you can do for him.”

Daniel chews on his lower lip and turns to face the lady.

“How much does he have to pay to get warm water back?” 

“What? I-I’m sorry?” the lady sounds even more shocked at Daniel’s sudden question.

“I said, how much does he have to pay to get warm water to bathe? He’s going to catch a cold if you don’t let him bathe in warm water,” Daniel explains, although all the warning signs in his brain are going off.

The lady looks around to see if Jihoon is still listening, then replies, “He’s been behind for about two months now. But… who are you?”

Daniel fishes his wallet out from his bag and takes out a few hundred dollar notes and hands them over to the lady. “Switch on his heater. If there’s anything he’s behind on, please use that to pay for him as well. And please don’t tell him I did this.”

He walks away, his heart feeling lighter than before. But the worry doesn’t go away so easily. How has Jihoon been living these few weeks? Daniel knows Jihoon is nothing to him – all they did was spend four days with each other, that was all. 

“Enemies,” Daniel whispers to himself. “If we’re enemies, then why the fuck does my heart keep wanting to care for you?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

It rained the entire night yesterday, so Jihoon has to wear his damp uniform to school. His notes in his schoolbag were soaked as well, but it’s not like he needed them in the first place. After talking to the landlord lady yesterday, he decided he would have to move out today.

Where would he go? He wasn’t sure either. But this wasn’t the first time he was chased out for not paying rent. This was his third rooftop house ever since the accident. In a way, Jihoon was experienced in getting chased out. He would stay at the sauna house for a few days while searching for a new house to stay in.

“Sam,” Jihoon says, shaking his friend who was in a deep sleep.

“Hm?” Samuel rubs his eyes and stretches his arms before looking at Jihoon. “What is it, Jihoon?”

Jihoon hesitates, but he knows Samuel is going to find out one way or another. “I think… I won’t be coming to school tomorrow.”

Samuel is wide awake now, “Why? Is there something wrong? Do you need money?”

Jihoon shakes his head. How typical of Samuel to kindly offer his money for Jihoon time and time again. “No, I’ve taken enough from you. I’m fine, I just think I need to get my priorities straight for now.”

Jihoon shouldn’t be spending time in school and waiting for something to happen. He should be outside, making a living for himself so he can pay for the hospital bills. It was a miracle that he had managed to attend school even after the accident.

Samuel opens his mouth to argue, but stops when their class president, Yoo Seonho comes up to the two friends. Seonho taps on Jihoon’s shoulder. 

“There’s someone waiting for you outside,” Seonho says.

“What?” Jihoon looks at Seonho strangely before realizing all his classmates are staring at him and Samuel. He hopes none of them managed to hear what he and Samuel were talking about. Jihoon starts to get fidgety from all the stares, he’s not used to being in the centre of attention.

“Someone’s calling for you,” Seonho repeats, and this time he points to the hallway outside their classroom, where a crowd has gathered. Jihoon squints, not quite understanding the situation. Then he spots Daniel with his group of friends waiting outside the door. He makes eye contact with Daniel, and Daniel gestures for Jihoon to come out by waving his hand.

Jihoon immediately lowers his head, muttering, “I thought I got rid of him when my punishment ended.”

Then he turns to Samuel, who looks equally confused. He uses his arm to block his face from the piercing stares of the students, then lowers his voice again, “What the fuck does he want now?”

Samuel crosses his arms, “I think you should go and find out.”

“And why is there a crowd? Is he some sort of fucking celebrity?” Jihoon snaps, earning himself a dirty look from a female classmate. 

Jihoon groans when he stands up, and a few students start whispering among themselves. The worst thing that can happen to Jihoon is for everyone to look at him; when all he wants to do is stay under the radar.

Daniel is smiling his obnoxious smile when Jihoon peeks out the door, and waves at Jihoon. His friends are standing around him as well, and they look like some kind of bodyguards for Daniel; it would be hilarious if there weren’t a few hundred students crowded in the hall ogling at them.

“What do you want?” Jihoon asks.

“I need to talk to you,” Daniel replies, and flashes a smile at the crowd of people behind Jihoon, and Jihoon thinks he vomits a little in his mouth then.

“I have nothing to say to you,” Jihoon says, and a few girls gasp. 

Daniel doesn’t look too surprised by Jihoon’s rejection. Instead, he grabs Jihoon’s wrist and pulls him through the crowd. The students immediately make a clear path for Daniel to walk on and it almost looks like Moses parting the Red Sea. 

Jihoon finds himself in some sort of secluded room with Daniel and finally breaks free from Daniel’s strong grip on his wrist.

“It’s red, you asshole,” Jihoon says as he rubs his wrist with his other hand.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry!” Daniel quickly rushes forward to look at Jihoon’s arm but he swats Daniel’s hand away.

“Tell me why you manhandled me in front of the entire student population just to bring me to this dark room in the next ten seconds or I’ll end your life,” Jihoon says and grabs the nearest object he can find to protect himself.

His fingers find a book, which isn’t the most useful weapon of choice but Jihoon knows he has to make do with it.

“Put the book down, Park Jihoon,” Daniel’s voice is shaky and unsure, Jihoon knows that Daniel knows he is fully capable of killing someone with a book. “I just wanted to ask you for a favour.”

Jihoon doesn’t put the book down, but he’s curious, “What do you want?”

“I heard you’re a genius, and you get straight As for all your exams,” Daniel says and Jihoon slams the book on the table. Not this genius talk again, Jihoon has been hearing this same sentence since he was born. And he’s sick of it.

“What? You want me to do your homework?” Jihoon demands, and he’s ready to use the book in his hands if Daniel manages to utter something stupid again.

“I… want you to tutor me.”

Jihoon’s fingers let the book drop onto the ground. He wasn’t expecting that. 

“You want me to what?” Jihoon’s afraid his ears are playing tricks on him.

“I want you to tutor me. I’m shit at studying, I need extra lessons. And a little bird told me you were a genius – so I’m sure you’re smart enough to be in university already. My parents are going to kick me out of the house if I don’t get rid of the last place position in my report card by the next exam.”

So his ears aren’t playing tricks on him. Daniel, his two years senior and enemy is asking Jihoon to tutor him.

“Last place? In the level?” Jihoon repeats, unable to believe it. 

“Okay, some people just can’t study. Just because you’re a genius doesn’t mean you can put me down for being last!” Daniel defends himself. Jihoon is glad to know that even if Daniel doesn’t have the brains, at least he knows how to defend his pride.

“If you call me genius one more time I will literally snap your neck,” Jihoon threatens and Daniel’s hands gather politely. 

It takes a while for all the information to sink into Jihoon’s brain.

“What will I get out of it?” Jihoon asks, he’s not about to share his secrets with his “enemy” for free.

Daniel smiles, knowing that he already has Jihoon’s interest. “Fifty dollars for every session. Also, I’ll give a bonus of twenty dollars for every place I move up.”

Jihoon does a quick mental calculation. There were approximately three hundred students in every level. If Daniel was last place, and he would give Jihoon twenty dollars for every placed he moved up… 

Jihoon’s hand flew to his mouth. Even if he could get Daniel an average placing, he would earn himself a bonus of three thousand dollars, in addition to his daily session earnings. There were two things that Jihoon realised in that moment. One, he would be able to pay his rent and hospital bills for a while more if he agreed.

Two, Daniel was filthy rich.

Everything about Daniel’s proposal benefited Jihoon. There was only one thing bothering Jihoon. It was too good to be true.

“What’s the catch?” Jihoon asks.

“Wow, you are a genius after all. Anyone else would agree immediately,” Daniel grins, then continues. 

“I only have one condition. No one has to know about this deal. Not even that friend of yours. This is between the two of us only.”

Of course, Jihoon should have guessed. Daniel was super popular, super rich, and it would only be embarrassing for people to know that Jihoon (a nobody) was tutoring him. Jihoon couldn’t deny that he felt slightly inferior when Daniel mentioned the condition, but shook off the feeling. Daniel had every right to think that way.

“My lips are sealed,” Jihoon promises. 

“Do we have a deal?” Daniel asks.

“Yeah,” Jihoon hesitates, not sure if this is the right thing to do. He doesn’t have many choices, he has to take whatever opportunity that arises; even if it means tutoring someone he hated. “I’ll tutor you.”

“Great!” Daniel claps his hands happily. “We can start today, are you free after school?”

Jihoon nods, he’s never one for after school activities. “But where do you want to meet? Since no one’s supposed to know.”

Daniel grins, and Jihoon feels his heart grow heavier for some reason. It’s as if Daniel has been waiting his whole life just for Jihoon to ask him that question. Jihoon’s confident crumbles when he hears Daniel’s answer.

“Well, the only place where no one would see us would be your home, wouldn’t it?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon makes up some excuse he knows Samuel doesn’t buy when school ends and they walk out of school together. He was supposed to go over to Samuel’s house today to plan his next prank for Kang Yoonseok – but he has something more important to attend to.

He attempts to make his one room apartment look as presentable as possible before Daniel arrives, although there’s not much to clean up in the first place. He keeps the mattress in the cupboard so that he can make space for a table for them to do their work on later.

The knock on the door startles Jihoon. Daniel has his textbooks in his arms when Jihoon opens the door for him. 

“Hey,” Daniel greets Jihoon cheerfully. 

Jihoon doesn’t want to get friendly – especially with Daniel. Daniel takes a seat on the floor like he’s meant to be here, and doesn’t even spare a glance at any of the old furniture in Jihoon’s home.

“It’s not the best place to study, but this is all I can manage,” Jihoon mumbles.

Daniel looks up, and says, “I think it’s nice. There’s a certain cosy feeling about your home.”

Jihoon isn’t about to call bullshit on the person that’s paying him more money that he could ever dream of, so he just sits opposite Daniel and starts flipping through the textbooks and papers.

He’s never tutored anyone before, neither has he been tutored before. When Daniel looks at him expectantly, he gulps nervously and uselessly flips through the textbook again.

“Are you nervous?” Daniel questions.

“Y-yeah. A little. I’ve never done this before,” Jihoon admits. He looks through some of the practice questions in the math textbook and is pleased to find out that he can solve them mentally. Genius, he mocks himself.

“Okay, don’t be nervous,” Daniel offers uselessly, like that’s supposed to calm Jihoon’s nerves. He flips to the cover of the math textbook and points at the first chapter. “How about we start with this?”

Algebra, one of Jihoon’s favourite topics. He then realises how fucking nerdy he must sound to get excited over math. 

“Do you know how to do the basic questions?” Jihoon asks as he shows the first practice question to Daniel, who returns his question with a blank look on his face. Jihoon is shocked when Daniel looks at the equations like they’re some type of alien language to him.

Jihoon stares at Daniel in disbelief, “Do you not listen in class, like, at all?”

“I did warn you in advance when I said I was last in my level,” Daniel complains and looks down in shame.

“Yeah, you did. I suppose you’re living up to that position really well,” Jihoon comments and earns himself a glare from Daniel. “Okay, sorry. I’ll explain it to you step by step, listen carefully.”

Jihoon realises helping Daniel isn’t as easy as he thought it would be. Daniel doesn’t even have the basics right, and Jihoon has to take out his textbooks and teach Daniel the material his class is leaning. It’s a mystery to Jihoon how Daniel managed to make it through his first two years alive. Jihoon finds himself wanting to give up and tell Daniel to accept his fate during the first two hours.

However, Daniel does show signs of improvement after a gruelling two hours. Although managing to solve basic year 1 questions doesn’t look like much, Jihoon feels a sense of accomplishment when Daniel manages to add, subtract, multiply and divide algebraic expressions without any problems.

“Take a break,” Jihoon says when he’s checking Daniel’s work. “You can’t push your brain too hard or you’ll crash.”

He wants to add that it probably won’t matter to Daniel since he probably hasn’t used his brain the past three years anyway, then decides to go easy on him.

“Do you have ramyun that I can cook?” Daniel asks as he walks over to Jihoon’s kitchen counter. 

Jihoon goes red, and remembers he’s behind on his bills so he doesn’t have any gas. Yesterday, he ate raw instant noodles again. He doesn’t know how filthy rich Daniel is going to accept that he doesn’t have gas.

“I uh… don’t have gas,” Jihoon mumbles as Daniel tries to turn on the stove.

To Jihoon’s surprise, he hears the familiar crackling of the stove and the flicker of flames. He can hardly believe his eyes when it isn’t an illusion – he has gas.

“Did you say something?” Daniel looks over. “Should I cook one packet for you too?”

“No,” Jihoon replies, he can’t afford to eat one of his instant noodles for tea time. He has to save it for his major meals.

It’s almost dreamlike when Daniel brings the pot of instant noodles over to their table, and Jihoon wonders how long it has been since the smell of cooked ramyun filled his tiny house. His stomach growls as Daniel slurps the same noodles Jihoon has been eating raw for the past few days.

Daniel’s eyes meet Jihoon, and he quickly tries to feed Jihoon a spoon of noodles.

“I don’t want it, you can have it for yourself,” Jihoon says, looking away.

“Have a spoon,” Daniel urges, bringing the spoon to Jihoon’s mouth, “You’re so skinny, I need to feed you more. Open up.”

Jihoon doesn’t know why but his mouth opens when he’s telling himself not to give in to the temptation. The noodles taste heavenly, and he can’t help but smile when he chews on the now flavourful noodles. Daniel has cooked it just right.

“You know, Park Jihoon,” Daniel says as Jihoon is relishing the flavour of cooked instant noodles. “You’re not too bad a person when you smile.”

Jihoon stares at Daniel like he’s just eaten a dog, “What did you say?”

“I say you don’t look too bad when you smile. You’re cute,” Daniel repeats and goes back to slurping his noodles.

The realization that he’s alone with Daniel in his house suddenly hits Jihoon. The memory of Daniel catching him at the library flashes though his mind and he mentally curses at himself. How could such words flow out of his mouth so naturally? Jihoon would never understand. 

“Don’t call me cute,” Jihoon warns as he continues marking Daniel’s work. His heart swells with pride and happiness as he realises Daniel gets all the questions right.

Daniel leans forward, and Jihoon freezes when he realises how close Daniel is to him. It’s almost like the time he caught Jihoon – 

Fuck, he was thinking of useless things again. His eyes couldn’t stop gazing at Daniel’s face, but in his defence, Daniel was so close to him that his face was the only thing Jihoon could see. He could probably understand why Daniel could draw such a big crowd of students, because as much as Jihoon would hate to admit it, Daniel was undeniably handsome.

“And why can’t I call you cute?” Daniel grins, showing his cute teeth. Did Jihoon just call his teeth cute? He’s beyond fucked up.

“Because…” Jihoon forgets what he wants to say when he finds himself looking at Daniel’s lips. He immediately locks eyes with Daniel again. “Because we’re enemies. And I hate you, because you annoy me.”

Daniel laughs in response, and goes back to drinking the instant noodle broth as if nothing had happened. Jihoon is sure his ears are tinged red when he pretends to be marking Daniel’s work.

“Because… because it makes my heart pound like crazy whenever you say that, and I have no fucking clue why.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Daniel finishes his last math problem, it’s already dark outside and Jihoon hasn’t felt so exhausted in such a long time. His brain is tired, and so is his body.

“Can I come again tomorrow?” Daniel asks as he packs up. 

“Yeah,” Jihoon mumbles as he watches Daniel stuff the papers messily into his bag. He might have to tutor Daniel on how to arrange his stuff neatly as well. Jihoon stands up to see Daniel out when Daniel hands him a thick envelope.

“A month’s pay in advance,” Daniel explains. Jihoon opens the envelope, and is shocked to see a thick wad of fifty dollar bills inside. He doesn’t know what to say; thank you? He holds the envelope close to his chest – like it’s a precious gem.

When Jihoon is still trying to find the words, Daniel says, “Thank you. I know it isn’t easy teaching a shitty student like me.”

“You’re not that bad when you focus,” Jihoon mumbles, but he knows it’s true. Daniel could do all the questions after Jihoon had explained them to him. All Daniel was missing was the focus. 

“What was that?” Daniel grins and pokes Jihoon’s cheek. 

Jihoon’s heart does the flip again and he’s convinced he needs to see a doctor. Now that he had the money, maybe he could use it to consult a doctor about these heart palpitations he had whenever Daniel was around.

“Go,” Jihoon commands and Daniel obediently steps out of his house. With a softer voice, he says, “See you tomorrow.”

Jihoon freezes in his spot when Daniel ruffles his hair and waves goodbye. He stops to catch a breath after Daniel walks down the stairs and disappears from his sight.

Enemies, enemies, Jihoon chants to himself as he closes the door behind him. 

He doesn’t believe a second of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm trying my best to update as fast as possible because school is starting again next week for me and updates will be slow then :(
> 
> i still hope u enjoyed this update!!
> 
> aaaaa and you're all too kind with your comments, they really make me smile and keep me motivated to update!!


	4. let down my defences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter has mild violence! please proceed with caution.
> 
> otherwise, enjoy!

Daniel greets Jihoon with two boxes of pizza in his arms the two days later. Jihoon had ditched Samuel (again) to tutor Daniel but he wasn’t expecting to be fed when he invited Daniel over.

“Eat,” is all Daniel says when he puts down the two boxes of pizza down on the table he’s supposed to do his work on. The two boxes easily take up the entire table, and Jihoon can’t remember the last time he’s had a pizza.

“I got two because I didn’t know which one you like better,” Daniel continues when Jihoon is still ogling at the pizza. He opens one of the boxes, and finds a typical Hawaiian pizza. The other is a pepperoni pizza. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Jihoon says as Daniel starts eating a piece of pepperoni pizza and offers Jihoon a piece. He gladly accepts, and relishes the taste of cheese and pepperoni. 

Daniel waves his hand at Jihoon and replies, “I need to eat too. Join me.”

Jihoon wonders if Daniel has ever gone hungry, or whether he ever had to skip meals just to save them for emergency situations. He doesn’t think so, someone like Daniel usually had everything, having a full three meals was the last thing people like him would be worried about.

They eat their lunch in silence, Jihoon is daydreaming about what it would be like if Daniel didn’t offer him this opportunity. He might have been annoying at first, but he indirectly saved Jihoon from having to drop out of school again.

“Do you not talk when you eat?” Daniel asks, starting on his third piece of pizza. 

“I don’t have anyone to talk with,” Jihoon admits. “Even with Samuel, we’ve known each other since we were young, there’s nothing to talk about.”

“Oh,” Daniel says and pretends to nibble on his pizza as he looks for the words appropriate for this situation. 

“We can start while you eat, I don’t want to waste any time,” Jihoon dusts his hands and starts flipping through the worksheets he had asked Daniel to bring from the day before. He can’t help but smile when he sees that Daniel has done the questions Jihoon had circled for him yesterday.

He looks through what Daniel has done, and is elated to know that his answers are correct when he works them out in his brain. 

“How’s it like being a genius?” Daniel asks. 

“I said don’t call me that,” Jihoon answers. He hates that word. It only reminds him of all the times people had looked at him like a freak just because he could solve the math questions in his brain a few times faster than anyone else in the class.

“Alright, let me rephrase my question. How is it like being smarter than the average kid your age?” Daniel isn’t giving up.

Jihoon sighs, putting down the textbook, “Do you really want to know?”

Daniel nods. Jihoon isn’t sure why he wants to talk to Daniel about anything other than his studies, but he’s never talked about being a genius from a young age to anyone before, not even Samuel. Suddenly, the memories of his childhood start flooding his brain, and once Jihoon starts talking, he can’t stop.

“It’s terrible,” Jihoon says and Daniel looks surprised. Jihoon doesn’t blame him though, any average person would think being a genius would mean they had their entire lives planned for them. 

“Everyone looks at you like you’re some sort of circus show. They’ll shove questions into your face, and when you solve it, they clap like you’re some sort of fucking attraction at the zoo,” Jihoon continues, and Daniel is frowning now.

“Jihoon-“ Daniel tries to cut him off, but the memories keep invading his mind.

“And,” Jihoon chokes out. “You’re expected to be perfect, when you know you’re far from that. When I start acting like a normal kid, people point their fingers at me and tell me I’m not counting my blessings.”

“They think I can be anything I want to when I grow up, since I’m so “smart”. The only thing I want to be is normal.”

Jihoon’s stare is enough to burn a hole into Daniel’s face, but his heart feels lighter after letting his grief show. Daniel has stopped eating his pizza, the other half still in his hand. Jihoon chews on his lower lip, embarrassed that he let Daniel see this side of him. 

“That’s what it’s like. Now start on these or we’ll never get anything done today,” Jihoon speaks up and shoves the textbook to Daniel.

Daniel picks up his pencil, and spins it around in his hand before focusing on his work again. And Jihoon is thankful that he doesn’t say anything stupid like ‘I’m so sorry’ because that would just make everything worse. 

“The teacher was surprised, I did well on his pop quiz,” Daniel boasts as Jihoon checks his answers when he finishes.

“I told you that you could do it,” Jihoon mutters. Inside, he’s a mix of happy and proud emotions. He wants to compliment Daniel, but he decides that would be too close for comfort.

Daniel hums in agreement, already numb to Jihoon’s lack of reactions. 

Then, he says something completely out of the blue.

“I never thought of you as a freak when I asked for your help. You were just a smart kid I thought would be brave enough to take up my offer.”

Jihoon looks up at Daniel, and he smiles, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

“That might have been the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Daniel relaxes when he sees Jihoon smile.

“Did it hurt when I punched you?” Jihoon eyes Daniel’s cheek, the bruise from the week before has almost disappeared now. There are no obvious signs that Jihoon had once hit him there.

Daniel rubs his cheek pathetically, “Of course, what the fuck.”

“Good,” Jihoon replies and hopes Daniel doesn’t notice him smiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon lifts his head from the table when he feels a pen poking his arm. His eyes meet Samuel’s and he uses his shirt to clean off the drool on his table.

“What?” Jihoon asks, annoyed that he was woken from his nap. He can’t remember if he was having a sweet dream, but anything was better than listening to his math teacher drone on about polygons for hours.

“We’re meeting tonight… right?” Samuel asks.

They had finally gotten to planning the next “prank” or “crime” for Kang Yoonseok two days ago. Whatever those were called. This time, they were planning for the prank to be on a bigger scale. Samuel had printed out the same message from Jihoon’s banner onto paper and they were going to paste it all around the school.

Sure, it was more physically draining, but it would be harder to remove. Just like Jihoon wanted.

“Yeah,” Jihoon replies. “I’m meeting you at midnight. We went over this three times.”

“Okay, just making sure I’m not the one that fucks up,” Samuel nods, then after a pause, he continues, “You’re not hiding anything from me, right?”

“Why would I be?” Jihoon replies, still groggy from his nap. Then he remembers, he is hiding something from Samuel. He had been tutoring Daniel for about a week now, and he’d not let a word slip to anyone. 

It wasn’t a big deal, though, Jihoon thought. It was just a tutor session, they weren’t even friends. Still, he feels a pinch of guilt for hiding this from Samuel. But they were friends, and Samuel would understand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon meets Samuel at the male toilet on the first floor at exactly 11pm. They had decided to schedule their meeting earlier because Samuel’s mom was starting to suspect that he was sneaking out.

“I got the stuff,” Samuel waves the stack of papers in Jihoon’s face. Jihoon hands Samuel the tape he’d gotten from the art room. They split up the papers to save time, Samuel is in charge of the second floor, and Jihoon takes the first.

They complete all four levels of the school in a little more than an hour. Papers with the message and Kang Yoonseok’s face on them were pasted all around the school. On student’s lockers, the toilet doors and even classroom windows. It would be a sight to behold in the morning.

“I’ll get going,” Samuel says when he finishes and runs home before his mother realises he’s not tucked into his bed. Jihoon, on the other hand, decides that it’s a cool and breezy night for a slow walk home.

He’s enjoying the serenity of the night when he hears a soft yelp from the alley. At first, it’s so soft Jihoon would have thought he was imagining it. Then came the voices, and the scraping of feet against the floor.

The yelps are louder now, and it sounds like an animal.

Jihoon squints into the darkness, and he can make out a few figures at the end of the alley. His jaw drops in horror when he sees a figure raise a long object and swing it down. The yelps are definitely louder now, and Jihoon’s feet carry him towards the cries for help.

What he sees not only shocks him, but also scares the hell out of him.

There is a total of four boys, not from Jihoon’s school. But they’re wearing their uniforms and hitting an animal with a stick. One of the boys kicks the animal, and Jihoon almost throws up.

He’s closer now, and he can see that it’s a small puppy. A tiny Yorkshire Terrier, bloodied and weak. It tries limping away, only to be kicked by one of the boys again.

Jihoon moves faster than his brain can process what he’s trying to get himself into. He flies fist-first into the boy who’s holding a stick, and knocks him onto the ground. His friends immediately turn around and start fighting back.

It’s not a fair fight. It’s a three to one, and the boy that was knocked down by Jihoon is starting to stand up as well.

“Leave the puppy alone,” Jihoon warns, but he knows he’s outnumbered and whatever he says isn’t going into their brains.

“How about you mind your own business?” one boy says before landing a kick on Jihoon’s stomach. He winces, but breaks his fall by holding onto a nearby pipe. They don’t stop, and land punches on Jihoon’s body. He tastes something metallic in his mouth, and knows it’s blood.

Jihoon uses his body to shield the puppy although he knows his body is probably bruised as hell. He feels something hit his back, and his world starts to go black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel exits the school happily holding his textbook in his hand. It’s almost midnight and the school gates have long closed. He climbs over the fence, the night breeze ruffling his hair.

Daniel is sure he has a screw lose ever since he’d started tutoring with Jihoon. To be frank, Daniel never cared about his grades, or his last place position in school. Paying for Jihoon’s heater was supposed to be Daniel’s last favour to Jihoon, but he found himself unable to sleep that night.

Studying wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Daniel thinks his super mega handsome and cute tutor does make it better, but he feels a sense of accomplishment when he understands what his math teacher is talking about in class while his friends sleep the day away.

Not to mention, he loves seeing Jihoon’s smile whenever he marks Daniel’s work. Jihoon probably thinks Daniel doesn’t notice, but he sees every little thing Jihoon does.

“I’m going crazy,” Daniel mutters to himself as he stares at the textbook in his hand. He was supposed to do some practice questions Jihoon had pointed out for him a few days before but he’d left the book in school.

He reaches the crossroad where he and Jihoon part ways and wonders if Jihoon is still awake. He tiptoes to try and see if Jihoon’s light is on, but it isn’t. 

“He’s probably asleep,” Daniel thinks and turns to his street.

Then he hears it, it sounds like a cry for help. But it’s so soft, Daniel isn’t sure where it’s coming from. He decides to ignore it and go home before he hears it again. 

“I think we got him, let’s go,” Daniel hears a voice say before he sees four boys run out from an alley around a block away. One boy throws a stick he was holding onto the ground. 

Daniel watches them run off before he walks into the alley where they came out from. At first, he doesn’t see anything because it’s so dark. When he nears the end, he sees a boy. The boy is curled up on the ground, and there are soft yelps coming from something he’s holding.

Then he sees the blood on the boy’s head, and he gasps in shock when he recognises the boy.

“Oh, fuck,” Daniel panics. It’s Jihoon. Daniel doesn’t know where the blood is coming from but it stains his hands. 

He props Jihoon’s head up using his arm. Jihoon’s eyes flutter open for a second and meets Daniel’s.

“Jihoon? Can you hear me?” Daniel shakes Jihoon, his heart is beating so fast now.

“Is that Daniel?” Jihoon groans, then smiles foolishly when he sees Daniel and if he wasn’t bleeding in Daniel’s arms Daniel would be smiling too.

“If it isn’t ever so handsome Daniel,” Jihoon grins and his eyes flutter shut again. Daniel freezes, not because Jihoon just called him handsome but because he has no idea what to do in a situation like this. 

He comes to his senses and starts dialling for the ambulance. His heart races as Jihoon’s body goes limp in his arms. He wasn’t dying… was he?

“You’re going to be fine,” Daniel whispers, as if Jihoon can hear him. When he lifts Jihoon up, he notices a small puppy lying where Jihoon was. Daniel realises that Jihoon must have gotten beat up by the boys from before for protecting this puppy. His fists clench in anger.

The ambulance arrives just then, and the paramedics take Jihoon from Daniel’s arms. Daniel tells them about the injured puppy, and they pick it up as well.

“Are you his family? You have to come with us to the hospital with us,” one of the paramedics tell Daniel, who is still shocked at the entire situation.

He nods, “I’m coming.”

Daniel has never sat in an ambulance, and he never wants to again. He’s terrified now that he has a good look at Jihoon. He’s no longer in his uniform, but his clothes are bloodied and his knuckles are purple. He instinctively holds Jihoon’s hand and squeezes it.

“Please be okay, please be okay.”

 

 

Pain is the first thing Jihoon feels when he opens his eyes. There’s a sharp pain in his head and he can feel pain from his chest area as well. The next thing he feels is that there’s someone holding his hand. He lifts his head despite the throbbing pain and sees Daniel.

Daniel is asleep, but he’s holding Jihoon’s hand.

Jihoon wants to swat Daniel’s hand away out of disgust, but it feels nice. Daniel’s hands are warm in this cold room.

Cold room. Jihoon is in a hospital. He remembers helping the puppy, and groans when he remembers the kicks and punches he took from those boys back in the alley. The smell of the hospital is all too familiar to him, and he sits up in shock.

Daniel wakes up from Jihoon’s stirring, and quickly lets go of Jihoon’s hand when he realises that Jihoon is awake.

“Are you feeling better? Does anything hurt?” Daniel leans forward place his hand on Jihoon’s forehead.

Jihoon quickly moves back, “I don’t have a fever, idiot. And yes, everywhere fucking hurts and I feel like dying.”

Daniel doesn’t seem bothered, he even smiles at little at Jihoon, “Seeing how you’re snapping at me tells me you’re okay. Thank god, I was so worried.”

Jihoon realises Daniel is probably the reason he was sent to the hospital. It’s a total of two times now – the number of times Daniel has saved Jihoon’s life.

“I have to go home,” Jihoon tells Daniel and proceeds to climb out of the bed. He doesn’t have the money to waste on hospital bills.

“No, you have to stay here. At least for the night,” Daniel insists.

“I have to go, I don’t have the money for this. I’m alright,” Jihoon tries to persuade Daniel.

“I’m paying,” Daniel says.

“That’s worse!” Jihoon yells out of frustration and a few nurses turn to look at the two, and lowers his voice, “Please, let’s just go home.”

Daniel purses his lips together in frustration and finally nods his head, “Fine. But I’m walking you home.”

Jihoon slips out of the bed while Daniel goes and talks to the nurses. He hates hospitals, and hates every second he has to spend in one.

They walk home in silence, and Jihoon wants to thank Daniel for coming to his rescue, but he doesn’t know how to. Daniel walks him home like he promised, but follows Jihoon inside.

“What are you doing?” Jihoon narrows his eyes suspiciously at Daniel who closes the door behind him.

Daniel takes his hands out of his pockets, “I uh…I have to make sure you take your medicine before I go.”

Daniel then holds up a plastic bag which Jihoon assumes he’d gotten from the hospital even though he had told Daniel not to get anything for him.

“Why? I told you I didn’t need it,” Jihoon snaps. “You should just go.”

“I’m not going till I help you apply the medicine. Now go and wash up and I’ll cook you something,” Daniel insists and takes out a pot from Jihoon’s cupboard and starts boiling a water.

And Jihoon feels a familiar feeling of affection. Daniel looks so comfortable in his small home, and Jihoon hates it. He hates how naturally Daniel cares for him. And Jihoon hates how much he enjoys it.

“You have no reason to do this,” Jihoon grabs Daniel’s arm and tries to lead him out of his house. It’s ridiculous how much he wants Daniel to care for him. Jihoon thinks it’s sick that someone like him could even want attention from Daniel, because he doesn’t deserve love or care from anyone.

Daniel doesn’t let Jihoon get his way. He grabs Jihoon’s arm and pulls him closer, “I have a reason.”

“Then tell me,” Jihoon challenges.

“Because I fucking care about you, that’s why.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the end, Jihoon lets Daniel stay while he takes a shower. Jihoon is stubborn, and he’s never met anyone more stubborn than him until Daniel. While he takes a shower, the smell of noodles fills his home and his stomach grumbles. 

“It smells good,” Jihoon comments when he comes out of the shower. Daniel is inspecting the medicine with a pot of noodles before him. 

_“Because I fucking care about you, that’s why.”_

Jihoon can’t get Daniel’s voice out of his head. Why would someone like Daniel even spend his time caring about Jihoon?

Daniel smiles as Jihoon approaches him, “Here. Have some food.”

“Share it with me,” Jihoon says. 

Daniel shakes his head, “It’s for you. I already had my dinner, start eating before the noodles turn soggy.”

Jihoon frowns, “How do you know I didn’t eat dinner?”

Daniel doesn’t even look at Jihoon when he says, “I know everything about you, Park Jihoon.”

For a second, Jihoon is terrified. He’s afraid Daniel knows all about the accident, and he knows that Jihoon is the culprit for all the pranks in school. 

“Not in the stalker way. I don’t know anything about your family or your security code. I mean I know when you skip your meals, and I know how you look when you’re happy, and how you look when you’re in deep thought,” Daniel says, trying his best to convince Jihoon that he isn’t a creepy stalker.

“Shut up, that’s still really weird,” Jihoon stops Daniel from continuing. Inside, the butterflies in his stomach appear again at the thought of Daniel observing him.

“And I know how even though you tell me to shut up, you want me to keep talking,” Daniel replies.

Jihoon doesn’t argue, because it’s true. He wants Daniel to keep talking, because it makes him laugh.

Daniel knows nothing about Jihoon, yet Jihoon feels like Daniel knows everything about him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon finishes his noodles as Daniel tells him a story about him going back to school earlier on to get his textbook from class. He glances at the clock on his wall, and it’s almost 3am in the morning and they both have school in four hours.

“Aren’t your parents worried about you or something?” Jihoon asks. 

“I told them I was sleeping over at a friend’s house,” Daniel explains.

“I’m not letting you sleep over,” Jihoon says as he takes the pot to the sink. It’s not like he has space for someone else, anyway.

Daniel laughs, “I knew you were going to say that. I’ll help you with your medicine and I’ll go.”

“I can do it on my own,” Jihoon sighs.

“I can do it on my own,” Daniel mimics. “Let me do it.”

Jihoon relents and lets Daniel apply the medicine for him or he’ll never get any sleep tonight. His lips sting when Daniel applies the cream on it. He tries not to flinch, but he can’t help it. 

“Ow,” Jihoon whines when he can’t take the pain anymore. Daniel stops for a moment to let Jihoon prepare himself again.

“You look horrible,” Daniel comments, then under his breath he mutters, “I’ll kill whoever did this to you.”

This time, it’s Jihoon’s turn to laugh, “Don’t be stupid.” When he realises Daniel isn’t kidding, he warns, “I’m serious. Don’t go looking for them, it’s a waste of time.”

Daniel grunts, and Jihoon takes that as an agreement. 

“Stay still,” Daniel says and starts applying the medicine on the cut on his forehead. It stings more than what Jihoon expects, and he grabs the object closest to him for comfort. Unfortunately, his fingers find Daniel’s hand.

Jihoon quickly lets Daniel’s hand go but Daniel reaches for his hand again. 

“You can squeeze if it hurts,” Daniel says, still concentrating on Jihoon’s forehead. “Just not too hard.”

Jihoon is glad Daniel is busy concentrating on his wound, so he can’t see how red Jihoon is. His heart starts to race, and he’s afraid it’s loud enough for Daniel to hear. His cuts and wounds sting, but Daniel holds his hand tight.

Daniel’s hands are significantly larger than Jihoon’s. It’s a strange observation, but Jihoon likes the way Daniel’s fingers wrap around his tiny hand. He’s so intrigued by Daniel’s hands that he doesn’t even realise when Daniel stops applying the medicine for him.

“Is there something wrong with my hands?” Daniel asks, and Jihoon quickly lets them go.

“Nothing,” Jihoon replies. “You should get going, it’s late.”

“Sure I can’t stay over?” Daniel teases.

“Get out,” Jihoon commands and Daniel rises to his feet. He grabs his bags and prepares to leave.

“Thank you,” Jihoon finally says when they’re at the door. 

Daniel smiles, “See you tomorrow for tuition?”

Jihoon almost agrees, then remembers that he has to go to detention for his new prank, then shakes his head. “I can’t. The day after tomorrow.”

“Okay, get some rest,” Daniel says and waves goodbye. Jihoon quickly shuts his door before he can do something stupid again – like holding Daniel’s hand.

He’s cursing at himself now. Letting Daniel into his house was one thing, letting Daniel indirectly touch his lips was another. And holding Daniel’s hands was on a whole different level.

Wanting to do it again – was another.

Jihoon takes pride in being cold and unapproachable to everyone, but for some unknown reason, he willingly lets his defences down whenever Daniel is around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel swears it isn’t intentional when he hears that Jihoon is being sent to detention again the next day. He was just harmlessly walking past Jihoon’s class when he heard Jihoon’s classmate talking about how he had landed himself in detention again.

Although there’s no reason for him to walk past Jihoon’s class on the second level when all his classes are on the fourth. Unintentional, Daniel swears. 

It’s also unintentional when Daniel strolls into the detention room that afternoon. He spots Jihoon sleeping at his usual spot, and takes a seat beside him.

He must have made a noise, because Jihoon lifts his head and looks up.

“What are you doing here?” Jihoon asks, and Daniel notices Jihoon’s tone doesn’t contain the same malice from before. It sounds like pure curiosity to Daniel.

“What do you mean? I’m here for detention, like you,” Daniel smiles and pokes Jihoon’s ribs with his pen.

Jihoon yelps, and Daniel suddenly remembers that Jihoon is hurt. 

“Fuck, I forgot,” Daniel panics and doesn’t know what to do to make it better. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, really.”

It takes Jihoon a few seconds to stop wincing from the pain, and the guilt in Daniel builds up. How could he have forgotten that Jihoon was literally kicked in the ribs just yesterday?

“I’m really going to kill you one day,” Jihoon pants when the pain subsides. Daniel fans Jihoon’s face for no reason, hoping to alleviate the pain somehow.

A joke, Daniel has to make Jihoon smile in times like this. 

“Hey, do you really think I’m handsome?” Daniel asks, smiling when he remembers the way Jihoon had called him handsome from the day before (even though he was practically unconscious).

Jihoon looks flustered and disgusted at the same time. “I never said anything like that.”

“Did too,” Daniel says in a sing-song manner. “Yesterday, when you were in my arms. You were kind of woozy, but I heard it for sure. You said, ‘If it isn’t ever so handsome Daniel’ and I’m pretty sure I’m the only Daniel you know.”

Jihoon’s eyebrows knit together and Daniel knows he’s trying to think back as to whether he said that. Daniel grins when Jihoon’s hands fly to his mouth in horror.

“So you remember now,” Daniel celebrates his small victory.

Daniel wonders if Jihoon knows how red he gets when he’s embarrassed. “I said it when I wasn’t in the right state of mind. Whatever, you’re handsome. So are a lot of people. Big deal.”

“Oh yeah?” Daniel starts to get interested. “Tell me who else you find handsome.”

“I’m not telling you,” Jihoon crosses his arms and tries to go back to sleep.

“I know someone who’s really handsome as well, should I tell you?” Daniel continues. 

Jihoon’s eyes flicker open, and Daniel knows he’s feeling curious. And when Jihoon gets curious, he won’t stop at anything to get his answer.

“Okay, tell me,” Jihoon accepts the challenge. “I’ll be the judge.”

“You have really high standards though,” Daniel tries to drag it out because his heart is beating so fucking fast and he suddenly can’t breathe. He’s suddenly aware of Jihoon who’s leaning closer to him to hear his answer.

“Come on, I said you were handsome. My standards can’t be that high,” Jihoon says. “Now, tell me his name.”

Daniel’s head is spinning as he leans closer to whisper the name into Jihoon’s ear. He’s not as confident as before, and he’s worried things could go an entirely different direction. After all, Jihoon is unpredictable.

However, he finds himself swallowing his fear and gathers all the courage in him to whisper the name into Jihoon’s ear. 

Jihoon doesn’t respond for a moment, and Daniel doesn’t dare to breathe. 

Then, Jihoon smiles the most beautiful smile Daniel has ever come across in his life. And Daniel feels like his heart is soaring through the sky. Jihoon is so close to him now, Daniel feels almost suffocated, but in a good way.

“I think he’s really handsome too.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I think I like someone,” Daniel says to no one in particular when he’s with his friends in his room that night. They were playing Xbox again, and Jisung was on the phone with another one of his friends.

“What did you say?” Jisung asks when he puts down the phone.

And Daniel doesn’t know why he’s saying this. He wants to tell everyone, he wants to shout it out to the entire world.

“I think I like someone,” Daniel repeats, and his heart feels strange again.

“Is it a boy? Or a girl?” Jinwoo asks, chewing on one of Daniel’s jellies on the other side of the bed.

He’s a very beautiful boy.

“Boy,” is all Daniel answers. 

“Name or I won’t believe you,” Jisung says, not looking up from his phone.

Daniel wants to tell his friends everything, from walking home in the rain with Jihoon to letting Jihoon hold his hand when he was in pain. 

Daniel kicks his bedsheets in frustration, “I can’t say. He wouldn’t like it.”

“Daniel,” Jisung says in a warning tone, “You’re so screwed.”

“Why?” 

“He already has you wrapped around his finger.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

_“Okay, tell me. I’ll be the judge.”_

_“You have really high standards, though.”_

_“Come on, I said you were handsome. My standards can’t be that high. Now, tell me his name.”_

_“…”_

_“I think Park Jihoon is really, really, handsome.”_

_“…”_

_“I think he’s really handsome too.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lot of you have been asking me - and yes i'll be updating daily until sunday night!
> 
> after this week updates may take me a few days because school so please bear with me :)
> 
> also i loooveee nielwink please feel free to scream at me in the comments because sometimes i want to scream at myself too!
> 
> see you tomorrow! thank u again for all the kind comments <3


	5. your damned smile

“Can I ask you a question?” Jihoon says as he munches on a sandwich during lunch time the next day.

Samuel looks up from his textbook to meet his friend’s eyes. They had a test coming up next period and Samuel was trying to cram some last-minute studying so he wouldn’t fail too baldly.

Samuel hums, not really paying attention, “What?”

Jihoon doesn’t really know how to put his question in a way that wouldn’t make him look suspicious or crazy to Samuel. 

“Whatdoesitmeanwhensomeonecallsyouhandsome,” Jihoon mumbles and looks down. Ever since his little detention session with Daniel the previous day, his heart has been racing nonstop whenever he thinks back to the same annoying guy calling him handsome. 

“Say that ten times slower,” Samuel suggests and Jihoon takes a deep breath before looking around to make sure no one is listening in to their conversation. 

“What does it mean when someone calls someone else handsome?” Jihoon repeats his question as he runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. 

Samuel puts down his textbook and sighs, “I don’t know. It’s a compliment, I guess. But it depends on who says it. I mean, how would you feel if I told you that I thought you were handsome?”

Jihoon cringes and feels his hand standing up at his friend’s suggestion, “I mean, I appreciate it but I’m not going to lie I’m also fucking disgusted.”

“Did you feel like that when that certain someone called you handsome though?” Samuel shoots back, unbothered by Jihoon’s confession.

_“I think Park Jihoon is really, really handsome.”_

No, not really, Jihoon thinks. He didn’t feel disgusted at all, even though he thinks he should be after getting a compliment from Daniel who he’s supposed to hate. If Jihoon had to be honest with himself, it felt nice. Daniel calling him handsome felt nice.

Jihoon then realises what Samuel’s just said, and quickly tries to defend himself, “I’m not asking it for myself-“

The school bell rings, signalling the end of lunch period and Samuel leaves without waiting for Jihoon to complete his sentence. He chases after his friend, trying his best to convince him that he asked him the question for a friend.

“Jihoon, I’ve been your only friend since you were seven,” Samuel says matter-of-factly, which shuts Jihoon up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That same afternoon, Daniel knocks on Jihoon’s door with two bags of chicken in his hands. Jihoon has long given up on trying to convince Daniel that he doesn’t need to bring food every time he comes over. 

“How was your test?” Daniel asks, immediately diving into the chicken box. Over the two weeks Jihoon has been tutoring Daniel, he has learnt that Daniel has a monstrous appetite. He joins Daniel and lets his teeth sink into the tender chicken. 

“How did you know I had a test?” Jihoon eyes Daniel suspiciously. 

Daniel stops nibbling his chicken halfway, and with a sheepish smile he says, “I might have heard some of your classmates talking about it.”

Jihoon doesn’t believe a second of it, but he knows better than to argue with Mr. Stubborn. “It was fine,” Jihoon answers. Same old thing with every exam, Jihoon knows how to do all the questions, but he purposely gets a few questions wrong so he doesn’t draw too much attention to himself.

“Did you hear about the pranks in school surrounding our principal?” Daniel asks causally as he reaches for another chicken thigh and Jihoon starts choking on his chicken.

“I’m fine,” Jihoon says, his heart still beating fast from the fear that someone else has caught onto his pranks and manages an awkward laugh, “Why do you ask?”

“I just heard it was getting pretty serious,” Daniel continues, “Any idea who’s behind all these? There are so many theories on who could be the mastermind.”

Jihoon feels the temperature in his room rise and he knows it’s not the weather. He clears his throat and tries to maintain his stoic expression, “I don’t know. I don’t really bother with these sort of things.”

“Of course,” Daniel agrees, and Jihoon hopes that Daniel would just drop the topic already.

“I think the mastermind is pretty cool though.”

Jihoon almost chokes on another piece of chicken but manages to stop himself. He’s sure his cold sweat is going to drip down his face anytime now and give himself away. 

“Why?” Jihoon’s curiosity gets the better of him, although all he wants to do now is talk about something else.

Daniel shrugs, “I don’t know. I just have a feeling that they would be a clever and cool person to plan such elaborate pranks. Do I sound weird right now?”

Jihoon clears his throat, afraid to look at Daniel because Samuel always knows when he’s lying when he looks Jihoon in the eye. “Your eyes give everything away,” Samuel had once told him.

“Yeah, really fucking weird,” Jihoon agrees. “What subject are we working on today?”

Daniel excitedly takes out his science textbooks from his bag and pushes them over to Jihoon’s side of the table. Jihoon loves science, especially biology. He thinks it’s fascinating learning how living organisms work.

“I’m studying chemistry this term,” Daniel explains, bursting Jihoon’s bubble. Chemistry is alright, Jihoon just doesn’t see the fun in knowing the structure of atoms. Nevertheless, he flips through some of the practice questions Daniel has attempted. 

“This isn’t going to be easy,” Jihoon thinks aloud when he realises Daniel is worse at Chemistry than he is in Math. 

“At least we have Chemistry,” Daniel offers unhelpfully and Jihoon tries to ignore his overused pun. When Daniel looks away, Jihoon feels the tugging on the corner of his lips. He can’t resist it, and smiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After five gruelling hours of chemistry tuition, Daniel finally manages to balance his equations perfectly and knows how to read the periodic table properly. Again, Jihoon is amazed at how Daniel was allowed to move on to the third level in the first place.

“I’m tired,” Daniel complains after finishing up another question and lies down on the floor. Maybe it’s Jihoon’s home that is ridiculously small, or Daniel is ridiculously big. When he lies down and stretches, his arms and legs touch the walls of Jihoon’s home.

“I suppose we could stop here for today,” Jihoon offers. “You should get going for dinner.”

Suddenly, a lightning strikes and thunder immediately follows, scaring Jihoon out of his seat. A second later, it starts pouring. Jihoon quickly gets up to close his windows before rain starts pouring in.

“I can’t leave, I don’t have an umbrella,” Daniel complains as he sits up.

Jihoon might be mean, but he’s not mean enough to force Daniel to walk home in the thunderstorm without an umbrella. He also doesn’t want Daniel’s worksheets to get soaked in the rain as well. On the other hand, he’s not keen on spending more time with Daniel.

“Can’t I stay for dinner?” Daniel asks. “I’ll cook instant noodles for both of us.”

“Fine,” Jihoon concedes defeat, “But leave when the rain stops.”

Daniel is satisfied with that answer, and immediately takes out the pot from Jihoon’s shelf to start cooking. Jihoon doesn’t want to be stuck watching Daniel, so he decides to take a bath while the noodles cook.

When he comes out of the shower, Daniel has already set the table. There are two hearty bowls of noodles on the table, with a side of kimchi that Jihoon keeps in his mini fridge.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Jihoon says as he sits down.

“I know,” Daniel replies and picks up his chopsticks to start eating his dinner. “I wanted to.”

It’s times like these when Jihoon can’t believe how he has let a stranger into his house. It’s also unbelievable how he has someone to eat dinner with. Most of the time, Jihoon finds himself stuck looking at the walls and daydreaming during dinner.

Jihoon wants to think he’s being kind – or turning over a new leaf. After all, he’s just helping a schoolmate out with his studies. And the only reason he’s letting Daniel stay is because it’s storming outside. 

Jihoon is about to take a mouthful of noodles when Daniel puts a piece of kimchi on his spoon. He looks up, but Daniel only smiles at him like offering him kimchi is the most natural thing in the world.

“That darned smile, it makes my heart feel like it’s going to explode.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Jihoon’s dismay, the rain looks like it has only gotten heavier after dinner. It’s almost 10pm, and the rain doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. 

“I should just run home,” Daniel says when another thirty minutes pass. Jihoon wants to tell him to just run as fast as he can with his long legs and pray he doesn’t get a cold the next day. Jihoon peeps outside the window, and is shocked when the view is blurred by the heavy rain.

“It’s storming,” Jihoon remarks. As if on cue, a flash of lightning flashes before his eyes and he covers his ears instinctively to brace himself for the thunder. 

Suddenly, he remembers the conversation he had with his landlady the previous day.

_“Jihoon? What are you doing here, is there something wrong?”_

_“No, I just wanted to tell pass you the rent I’ve been owing.”_

_“Oh, of course. You should thank you friend too, he’s a really nice one.”_

_“Friend?”_

_“The one who paid for your heater and gas bills the other day! You didn’t know? He’s the one who walked you home in the rain previously. Make sure to thank him and treat him nicely.”_

Jihoon bites on his lower lip before turning to face Daniel. He hopes he won’t come to regret this decision.

“Maybe you should sleep over.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel slaps himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming, earning a strange look from Jihoon.

“Why did you do that?” Jihoon asks. 

To wake myself up from this dream, but it’s not working, Daniel thinks. Did the almighty Park Jihoon just invite him to stayover at his home because he was worried Daniel would catch a cold?

“N-nothing,” Daniel stammers. “Did you just say I could sleep over?”

Jihoon suddenly looks embarrassed, and he awkwardly touches the nape of his neck as he replies, “I mean, I understand if you’re not comfortable in sleeping in such a small house, I don’t have-“

Daniel holds out his hands to stop Jihoon from continuing, “That’s not what I meant! I mean, you’re really okay with me sleeping over?”

Jihoon shrugs, “I don’t want you to get killed by lightning. You can go when the rain lightens up, but I want to sleep.”

Daniel has to grab hold of the kitchen counter to prevent himself from falling over. It’s not a dream, he tells himself. Jihoon was really asking him to sleepover. 

“Aw,” Daniel can’t help but smile, “You care about me.”

Jihoon folds his arms, trying to look cross (but Daniel knows he’s trying not to smile) and says, “If you’re going to tease me you can leave.”

Daniel quickly shakes his head and replies, “Of course I’ll stay, how can I disobey the one and only Park Jihoon?”

Jihoon rolls his eyes but digs out a shirt from his cupboard and tosses it to Daniel, “Take a shower, I won’t have a dirty person lying down on my bed.”

“Of course,” Daniel grins and shuts himself in the shower before Jihoon can change his mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel is shocked when he comes out of the shower and sees Jihoon laying out the mattress on the floor. He knows it isn’t nice of him to compare, but the mattress is half the size of his bed back at home, and he isn’t sure how both he and Jihoon are supposed to fit on that.

Still, he manages to smile at Jihoon when Jihoon passes him, Daniel’s textbook in his hands. 

“What are you doing?” Daniel asks when Jihoon starts laying Daniel’s textbooks in a straight line in the middle of the bed. 

“Separating us, of course,” Jihoon replies, “I don’t want you doing anything strange to me at night. Don’t cross the line or I won’t hesitate to punch you again.”

A laugh escapes Daniel’s lips, because Jihoon’s childish antics are a complete opposite of the Jihoon Daniel sees in school.

“Come on, I’m not a pervert,” Daniel complains, knowing that they’ll have even less space to sleep if there are textbooks separating them. Also, it would be uncomfortable.

“This is my house, so we’ll abide by my rules,” Jihoon replies, slipping under the blankets on his side of the mattress. 

Daniel is careful not to step on Jihoon when he finishes drying his hair and takes his side of the mattress. The mattress is unexpectedly soft and comfortable. The blanket is also warm, unlike Daniel’s quilt (which makes him feel stuffy).

Daniel thinks Jihoon is asleep until a voice escapes from under the blankets, “I’m warning you, don’t try anything funny.” 

“I wouldn’t dare,” Daniel replies, and he means it. 

A few minutes pass, and Daniel can’t get to sleep. Although it’s warm and comfortable under the blanket, Daniel is wide awake. His mind is racing, all the signals in his brain are going off as he realises exactly what he’s gotten himself into.

Just two weeks ago, Jihoon had punched him in the face and told Daniel he hated him.

Fast forward two weeks, Daniel was sleeping in the same bed as Jihoon.

Jihoon stirs, and Daniel keeps as still as possible, afraid that he’ll wake Jihoon up if he moves.

“Are you still awake?” 

Daniel is initially shocked when he hears Jihoon’s voice fill the room, then he answers, “Yeah. I can’t sleep.”

“Me neither,” Jihoon admits and his head peeks out from under the blankets. It’s dark, but the lights from the street illuminate the room just enough for Daniel to have a good look at Jihoon’s face. He feels his heart thump when he meets Jihoon’s eyes.

“Why? Thinking of me?” Daniel teases. Daniel knows he might tease and joke around with Jihoon excessively, but only because he doesn’t know what to say when he gets serious. He’s afraid he might say something he can’t take back.

Jihoon laughs, then tugs the blanket towards himself, “You wish. And don’t steal the blanket from me.” 

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Daniel relents and lets Jihoon take the entire blanket. 

“Thank you, Daniel,” Jihoon says when the room goes quiet again. It’s been awhile before Daniel has heard Jihoon call him by his name, and it makes his heart race like crazy.

Daniel gathers his courage to turn his body and face Jihoon. Their faces are separated by Daniel’s chemistry textbook. His breath escapes unconsciously because Jihoon looks so beautiful under the slight illumination from the light outside.

“What for?” Daniel replies.

“I know you paid for my heater that day, and the gas,” Jihoon says and Daniel immediately fears that Jihoon is going to kick him out for trying to help him. 

“I didn’t mean to-“ Daniel says but Jihoon cuts him off anyway.

“Just, thank you. And I’m sorry for punching you in the face and saying bad stuff to you. Thank you for not treating me like a freak. I was being an asshole but you still helped me,” Jihoon begins to ramble and Daniel is afraid that Jihoon is going to cry if he keeps speaking.

Daniel instinctively reaches over and sweeps the hair covering Jihoon’s eyes. For a moment, Jihoon freezes and Daniel is afraid he’s overstepped his boundaries.

When Jihoon doesn’t react to Daniel’s touch, his fingers trail down to Jihoon’s cheeks (which are so soft and squishy). “Don’t be silly, I did what I had to,” Daniel says.

“Do you still hate me, though?” Daniel asks, not removing his hand from Jihoon’s face.

“Maybe not,” Jihoon says in a softer voice, and that’s all Daniel needs to hear.

“Good,” Daniel answers.

Jihoon blinks once, twice, before lifting Daniel’s hand from his face. “Okay, that’s enough. You crossed the textbook line I made.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Daniel challenges.

“Shut up,” Jihoon snaps and turns over so that his back is facing Daniel. “I’m warning you, don’t touch me.”

Daniel chuckles, “Alright, goodnight.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

It isn’t until an hour later that the rain stops and Daniel decides that he should leave if he doesn’t want to bother Jihoon in the morning. He slowly removes the blanket and shifts closer to the edge of the bed.

Then, he feels a pair of arms wrap around his waist. He quickly turns around to see Jihoon grabbing onto him like a koala. 

“Jihoon, are you awake?” Daniel whispers. Jihoon’s eyes remain tightly shut, and Daniel stops resisting. His heart is about to come out of his chest when Daniel lays back down to face Jihoon.

“Hey, you crossed the line you made,” Daniel teases again, but Jihoon continues to sleep soundly. He’s even snoring softly, and Daniel doesn’t have the heart to wake him up.

Slowly and carefully, Daniel removes the books Jihoon had lined up and places them on the other side. 

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” Daniel says unconsciously when he looks back at Jihoon. Daniel has seen many pretty people in his life on the tv, or on the internet, or a passer-by on the street but he decides no one can ever compare to Park Jihoon.

Park Jihoon isn’t just plain pretty, handsome, cute, or even beautiful.

He’s enchanting.

Daniel smiles when he looks at Jihoon’s arm around his waist again, and he silently prays that morning will never come so they can stay like this forever. His heart races again when Jihoon buries his face into Daniel’s neck, resting his head on Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel shifts his arm so that Jihoon is using his arm as a pillow. It’s going to be numb in the morning, but Daniel doesn’t care.

Fast forward two weeks, Daniel is crazy in love with Park Jihoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sunrays pierce through the window, showing no sign that there was a thunderstorm last night. Jihoon’s eyes flutter open, and he sees Daniel’s face next to him.

Not next to the textbooks next to him like last night, but next to him.

He lifts his head to find that he’s been using Daniel’s left arm as a pillow the entire night. To his horror, he finds his own hands wrapped around Daniel’s waist. It takes Jihoon a few seconds to process the entire situation before he jumps up from the mattress.

The textbooks he had lined up the previous day were strewn on the other side of the floor.

“What did I do?” Jihoon curses as he observes Daniel. Daniel is till in a deep sleep, and doesn’t even stir when Jihoon leaves the bed.

Daniel mummers something in his sleep, and Jihoon remembers the way Daniel placed his hands on his face yesterday. He touches his own cheek, and feels his face getting hot.

Jihoon jumps a few feet when a sleepy voice says, “You’re awake?”

Daniel stretches before sitting up. “Oh my god. My arm feels so numb,” he groans.

“D-did you sleep well?” Jihoon asks, his eyes searching for something to look at apart from the boy he’d hugged to sleep the previous night.

“Yes, Park Koala,” Daniel replies, and Jihoon’s face goes red. 

“I’m sorry, you should have woken me up,” Jihoon whines, it’s not his fault his arms had a mind of their own while he was sleeping.

“No worries, I enjoyed it,” Daniel grins, and Jihoon can’t help but smile too when he sees Daniel’s hair sticking up in weird angles. 

“Don’t you dare breathe a word to anyone,” Jihoon warns as he takes out a new shirt from his cupboard and disappears into the bathroom. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You’re still here?” Jihoon can’t believe his eyes when he sees Daniel all dressed up in his shirt when he steps out of the bathroom, “Is that my shirt?”

“Am I not supposed to be here?” Daniel grins obnoxiously. Jihoon’s shirt was a little big on himself, so it was perfect for Daniel.

Jihoon tosses his pyjamas into the laundry basket. “Um, no. This is my home, you have yours.”

“I can’t just leave on a Saturday morning,” Daniel says. “Let’s go on a date.”

Jihoon almost throws a textbook in Daniel’s face when he suggests going on a ‘date’. Jihoon has never gone on a date his entire life, but at least he knows dates are what people do when they’re a couple.

“And why should I go on a date with you?” Jihoon questions. 

“You have to take responsibility for your actions! You can’t just use me like you did last night and throw me out of your house the next morning,” Daniel insists and Jihoon goes red.

“I didn’t mean to do it!” Jihoon yells back, “And don’t say it like we did something!”

“Oh, so you’re just going to ignore the fact that you basically cuddled with me as if we were boyfriends the entire night?” Daniel shouts back, looking offended.

Jihoon knows he’s fighting a losing battle whenever he bickers with Daniel, especially over stupid things like this, but he continues anyway, “I said I didn’t mean to! You could have woken me up anyway! And don’t call me your boyfriend, it makes me want to puke.”

“And I said I didn’t wake you up because I enjoyed it, okay!” Daniel retorts, “So will you just fucking let me go on a date with you?”

“Stop calling it a date!” Jihoon crosses his arms. “Why would you want to go on a date with me anyway?”

Daniel hesitates for a moment, and Jihoon thinks he’s finally won in an argument with Daniel. He grins at his victory, but the smile vanishes from his face when Daniel corners him against a wall.

Daniel is so close to him, their noses almost touch. Jihoon’s legs almost give out from the nerves but Daniel grips his arm firmly to prevent him from falling. Daniel leans in closer to Jihoon’s face and Jihoon is suddenly afraid that he might punch Daniel out of fear.

Daniel seems to think the same thing, and he holds Jihoon’s already clenched left fist down with his free arm.

Jihoon feels the familiar butterflies in his stomach appear as Daniel whispers the words into his already bright red ear.

“Because I think I might like you, Park Jihoon.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel curses at himself a few thousand times as he follows behind Jihoon. He didn’t plan to confess to Jihoon in the middle of their bickering but the deed was done and Jihoon was fully aware of his feelings now.

He had to convince Jihoon that he wasn’t crazy so that Jihoon wouldn’t run away and chase him out of his life forever – which was a traumatic experience.

_“Oh god, I didn't mean to say that. Please don't freak out.”_

_“What the fuck does that even mean Daniel? You like me? You like like me?”_

_“Why do you make it sound like it’s a bad thing?”_

_“Because you just said you like me? What the fuck?”_

_“I mean, I’m still not sure about my feelings. I mean I’m pretty sure I like you but I don’t know how and when-“_

_“Because that makes so much more sense. Great.”_

_“Does that mean we can still go on a date?”_

_“Stop calling it a date!”_

Jihoon made Daniel promise not to say it was a date, and when Daniel had asked Jihoon to suggest another name for the ‘activity’, he had said they were just ‘hanging out’.

So hanging out it was. Daniel was thankful Jihoon wasn’t treating him like a criminal for confessing his feelings, but he still felt like Jihoon was trying his best to avoid the topic with Daniel.

“Can you please not look at me like I killed your family?” Daniel pleads when they find a seat in a snack shop just down the street. 

Jihoon huffs, “I’m sorry. It’s just really weird knowing you have feelings for me.”

Daniel almost chokes on his saliva. He’s not sure if this is a rejection, because it sure looks like that to him.

“I said I wasn’t sure,” Daniel tries to explain himself, but is cut off by a familiar face entering the same snack shop. It was Ong Seongwoo, one of Daniel’s childhood friends. They had become friends because their parents were neighbours in Daniel’s old neighbourhood.

Seongwoo spots Daniel as well, and waves hello. Daniel gets up to go and greet Seongwoo, who greets him with a hug.

“I haven’t seen you in forever!” Seongwoo says, “How is school?”

Daniel only gets to meet Seongwoo when his parents organise one of those extravagant parties and invite all their friends for dinner. He hasn’t seen Seongwoo in almost a month, ever since his dad started coming home late from work, or whatever he was doing.

“I think my dad’s really busy with stuff,” Daniel explains, “And school is terrible. You know me.”

Then Daniel remembers he has a life update for his friend, and leans in to whisper, “But I got myself a really cute tutor, and I’m getting better grades.”

Seongwoo’s jaw drops when Daniel mentions his grades, and replies, “Holy shit. Last time I checked, you were starting to feel comfortable in the last place position.”

“Asshole,” Daniel says, but he’s laughing too, “I know how to use my brains at the right time.”

Seongwoo and Daniel’s mini catch-up is interrupted when Jihoon comes up from behind Daniel and tugs on his shirt sleeve. (Technically, it’s Jihoon’s shirt sleeve but Daniel had stolen his shirt).

“I’m hungry,” Jihoon says, not acknowledging Seongwoo’s existence. Daniel tries to shush Jihoon and push him to the back but Seongwoo smiles and offers his hand to Jihoon.

“I’m Seongwoo, Daniel’s friend. And you are?”

Daniel’s heart sinks as Jihoon surveys Seongwoo.

“He’s Jihoon,” Daniel chips in, afraid that Jihoon will say something to offend Seongwoo. Although Daniel might be used to Jihoon’s sharp tongue, his friends may not be. “He’s uh… a friend from school.”

Jihoon finally takes Seongwoo’s hand, “I’m Park Jihoon. The person Daniel likes.”

Daniel almost chokes on his saliva when Jihoon says that, and immediately breaks the handshake. He shoves Jihoon to the side before he can say anything else.

Seongwoo is giving Daniel a strange look, and Daniel decides he has to cut their catch-up short, “I have to go, my friend is starving. I’ll uh… call you soon?”

“Yeah, sure,” Seongwoo replies but Daniel is already dragging Jihoon back to their seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What the hell was that about?” Daniel snaps when Seongwoo leaves the shop.

Jihoon blinks innocently, “Are you allowed to do that?”

Daniel’s face is still flushed from Jihoon’s unexpected introduction to his long-time friend. He’s sure Seongwoo is going to tease him about this for a long time. He just prays Seongwoo doesn’t tell his family.

“Do what?” Daniel groans as he buries his face into his face.

“Are you allowed to like two boys at once?” Jihoon asks as he looks through the menu that the waitress brings them.

“What do you mean? When did I ever like two boys at once?” Daniel replies.

“That guy. You were laughing with him,” Jihoon closes the menu. “You can’t like me and like him too.”

Daniel doesn’t know whether he should laugh or cry at Jihoon’s statement. 

“S-seongwoo? He’s my friend! It’s like you and Samuel,” Daniel explains. “Have you never dated anyone before?”

Jihoon shakes his head, “Why? Do I have to?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Daniel replies, exasperated. He shoves the menu to Jihoon, “Whatever, just pick out whatever you want to eat, I’m paying.”

Finally, Jihoon smiles again and looks significantly happier once he orders their food. Meanwhile, Daniel is still at a loss for words at how clueless bratty and sharp-tongued Jihoon becomes when it comes to being on a date.

“Wow, if you liking me means that you’re going to buy me whatever I want then I guess this isn’t so bad after all,” Jihoon comments as he sets the table.

Daniel sighs, half-regretting his confession.

“You know, I could do more if you like me back,” Daniel blurts out. He’s already messed up, it doesn’t matter if he makes himself look more like a loser in front of Jihoon.

Jihoon doesn’t even look up at him when he says, “I’ll think about it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon doesn’t know how he lets Daniel convince him that he needs to go grocery shopping when they finish lunch. Still, he finds himself having to carry a boxe of groceries home while Daniel helps him with the other two.

“I’m exhausted,” Daniel exclaims when they finally get back to Jihoon’s home.

“You’re the one that wanted to buy so much when I told you I didn’t need any of these,” Jihoon argues and starts loading the groceries into the fridge.

“If I’m going to come here almost every day, I need a change of menus occasionally,” Daniel explains as he helps Jihoon unpack the other two boxes. 

It’s been a long time since Jihoon has gone shopping for himself, much less for two people. The only times he shops are to restock his instant noodles supply. Jihoon almost fainted when he saw the total amount at the cashier earlier, but Daniel had insisted on paying, since he’d be the one eating most of the food anyway.

“Are you going to leave now?” Jihoon crosses his arms when they finally finish unpacking. He’d been with Daniel for approximately 24 hours now, and it was driving him crazy.

“I treat you to lunch and take you grocery shopping and this is how you treat me?” Daniel pouts and although he knows Daniel is just teasing him, he does feel guilty.

He sighs, “I’m sorry. I’m still shocked about your... confession.”

All Jihoon can think about is how Daniel has come to have feelings for him – Park Jihoon. He’s never had anyone confess to him before, and he’s not sure how to react to Daniel. Jihoon doesn’t want to hurt Daniel, he’s just unsure of what to do.

“I don’t know what to say to you,” Jihoon confesses. “But I don’t want to push you away either.”

Daniel smiles and puts his arm around Jihoon’s shoulder, “Hey. It’s okay, I was just joking. And you don’t have to treat me any differently. You can still threaten to kill me every three seconds, what I said doesn’t change anything between us.”

“Okay,” Jihoon says. “And I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say sorry,” Daniel replies. “Just let me know when you have an answer for me, okay?”

Jihoon nods. He might be a genius, but he has no idea what to do in situations like these. He knows something between them has changed, and he’s not sure how to deal with it.

“I should go,” Daniel says as he picks up his bag. “And I’ll return you your shirt next time.”

Jihoon moves to open the door for Daniel to leave when he hears a knock on his door. He looks out the peephole, and almost faints when he sees Samuel at the door.

“Fuck,” Jihoon curses. He can’t let Samuel see Daniel in his house – especially not on a Saturday afternoon.

“It’s Samuel,” Jihoon whispers and points to the cupboard, “Go and hide in there.”

Daniel nods and quickly tiptoes into Jihoon’s cupboard which he surprisingly fits perfectly into. Jihoon opens the door, but not enough to let Samuel in.

“Samuel!” Jihoon tries his best to sound normal, “Hey buddy! Why are you here?”

Samuel shoots him a weird look, “What's with the over enthusiasm? You said we’d plan the next pra-“

Jihoon’s hand flies out to stop Samuel from talking. He’d totally forgot about the plans he made with Samuel to plan for their next prank in school. He prays Daniel didn’t overhear their conversation.

“Sorry, I totally forgot,” Jihoon quickly apologises. “I’ll be out in a minute, just let me change, okay?”

Jihoon closes the door before Samuel can say anything else. He opens his cupboard door to reveal Daniel in an obviously uncomfortable position. He can save the apologies for next time.

“Here, lock up for me when I leave and slip the key under the rug outside, okay?” Jihoon says as he passes his house keys to Daniel. He knows it’s probably not safe to trust Daniel with them, but he has no choice.

Jihoon quickly changes into another shirt and turns red when he sees Daniel staring. 

“Keep your eyes to yourself,” Jihoon warns in a harsh whisper. He grabs his bag to leave only to be pulled back by Daniel.

“Hurry the fuck up!” Samuel yells from outside.

“I’ll be out in ten seconds!” Jihoon yells back, then turns back to Daniel, “What do you want?”

Daniel pulls Jihoon into a hug, and Jihoon is afraid Daniel’s going to hear his heart thumping against his chest. He doesn’t pull away, because it feels nice. When Daniel lets Jihoon go, he’s smiling that same damned smile Jihoon hates (loves).

“You can take your time to answer me, but don’t take too long, okay?”

Jihoon nods, and he means it. 

“Bye,” he whispers one last time before rushing out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> extra long chapter because who doesn't love extra long suffering!
> 
> i'm so happy to see all your cute comments hehe
> 
> please give me all your feedback and reactions and comments i love reading them <3
> 
> see u all tomorrow~


	6. puzzle piece

Daniel can’t help but feel his heart flutter when he opens his math textbook in class and sees Jihoon’s small and neat handwriting at the side of the book. The past week, Jihoon had helped him circle questions that were likely to come out in today’s test.

He’s never studied for a test in his life, but he’s never felt nervous about doing well either. Even if he didn’t do well in school, he practically had his whole life planned out for him anyway.

Or so he thought. There’s an unfamiliar nervous feeling in his chest when the teacher strolls into the classroom with the test papers in his hand. Daniel’s eyes scan the questions one last time, hoping to squeeze in any last-minute formulas he had to remember. Then, his eyes trail to a small note at the corner of the page.

_“Don’t be nervous, believe in yourself. I’ll treat you to instant noodles if you pass!” – Jihoon_

Daniel smiles, and feels his stress melt away in an instant. He looks around the classroom, there are some students trying to cram in last minute studying like him, and his friends are still sleeping. He taps on Jisung’s shoulder, waking him.

“It’s about to start,” Daniel whispers as the teacher starts reading out the instructions for this test. Jisung rubs his eyes sleepily.

“Why are you so concerned? You sleep through every test anyway,” Jisung replies and puts his head on the table again. The old Daniel would have joined him, but somehow, Daniel feels like he wants to do well this time.

Daniel’s heart starts beating faster when the test paper reaches his table and he takes out his pen and writes his name in what Jihoon calls “chicken scratch handwriting”. He’d studied hard for a week, and he could do most of the questions during practice. But he was afraid his mind would go blank once he turns over the paper.

“You may begin,” the teacher announces and Daniel hears his class flip over the test papers and start writing furiously. He says a silent prayer and turns over the cover page.

His jumps for joy silently when he recognises the question type and starts writing down his working immediately. He celebrates when he breezes through the first page, but his happiness halts when he reaches a question he can’t solve.

Daniel thinks of giving up – doing well was unlike him anyway. He glances at his four friends, still in dreamland on their own tables and wishes he could do the same.

“If you don’t know how to do a question, don’t you dare give up,” Jihoon had threatened Daniel when he told Jihoon he’d wanted to give up. “Skip it and come back again later.”

Daniel takes a deep breath and turns to the next page, where his confidence is boosted when he solves another question easily. 

He realises that he wants to do well – both for Jihoon and himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel can’t stop smiling when the teacher collects his test paper. Although he had two or three questions he couldn’t solve no matter how long he stared at them, he was feeling confident of his other questions. He feels his heart beating wildly, and wonders if this is what it feels like to be nervous about a paper.

He taps on the chair in front of him, and his classmate turns around to face him.

“Euiwoong, what’s your answer for the last question?” Daniel asks. Euiwoong is both the class president and the smartest person Daniel knows – next to Jihoon. He’s also despicably nice, which makes it impossible for Daniel to hate him for being so perfect.

“I think it was 146, but I’m not too sure. It was a pretty tough paper,” Euiwoong replies and Daniel has to pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming.

“No! I got that answer too!” Daniel says a little too cheerfully, but it’s only because he’s elated that he managed to solve the question at the last few minutes. 

Euiwoong smiles, “You must have studied really hard.”

Daniel nods, still feeling proud, “I did.” He can’t wait to boast to Jihoon about how he’s practically as smart as his class’s star student now. (Okay, not really. But it wouldn’t hurt to exaggerate a little).

“Yo Daniel!” Taewoong calls out, and Daniel realises all his friends are waiting for him at the door to go for lunch together, “Aren’t you coming?”

“See you later, Euiwoong,” Daniel says before skipping over to his friends. He wonders if Jihoon is going to smile or compliment him when he tells him about acing the test.

Jaehan playfully punches Daniel’s side, “So, is the principal’s son finally going to start studying?”

Daniel glares at Jaehan, “Hush. You know how much I hate people calling me that. I’m Daniel, not some principal’s son. But yes, I think I’m going to start being serious about my studies.”

“This calls for a celebration!” Jisung exclaims. “You should treat all of us to lunch.”

“You’re just friends with me for my money,” Daniel teases, and since he’s in a particularly good mood, he agrees to treat his friends. They cheer loudly and make their way towards the cafeteria.

There’s a big crowd when they arrive, and students are all crowding around something that Daniel can’t see over the crowd. He spots Ha Minho in the centre of the crowd, and sighs. Anywhere Ha Minho is would never be peaceful. He was always causing trouble somewhere.

“I thought you took care of him the previous time,” Taewoong comments as they continue to observe Ha Minho. He seemed to be angry at something, or someone.

“We did,” Daniel grunts. Ha Minho was the one who had stolen a poor boy’s wallet almost a month back. Knowing the boy wouldn’t be able to get it back himself, Daniel had to confront Ha Minho himself.

“If we get involved in any fights again, my parents are going to kill me,” Jinwoo says. Taewoong and Jaehan only nod in agreement, and Daniel is about to call his friends out for being scaredy cats when he sees Ha Minho launch a punch at another boy. 

Daniel tip-toes to make sure the boy is okay, and he sees the boy crouching on the ground next to his friend. His heart sinks when he sees the boy lying on the ground, and pushes through the crowd before his friends can stop him. 

“Hey!” Daniel shouts, which stops Ha Minho from moving forward to the already hurt boy. Another skinny boy rushes to the injured boy’s side, and Daniel recognises him.

“Aren’t you…” Daniel struggles to remember, and gasps when he puts a name to the skinny boy’s face, “Samuel?”

Daniel’s worst fears are confirmed when the injured boy pulls himself up from the ground, and it’s probably not the appropriate time for Daniel to think this, but Park Jihoon still looks as beautiful as ever even with blood pooling from his mouth.

Daniel’s gaze lands on Ha Minho, who still has the nerve to glare at Jihoon. 

“Fucking hell,” Daniel curses before grabbing Ha Minho by the collar. “I’m going to kill you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon mindlessly drinks his chocolate milk with Samuel at lunch, and he can’t seem to get Daniel’s confession out of his mind even though Daniel had told him many times over not to overthink it. He doesn’t know if he likes Daniel that way, but he definitely likes him as a friend.

“Sam, has your heart ever raced when you were with me?” Jihoon asks and Samuel looks visibly disgusted.

“Yeah. When you make me so angry and my blood pressure rises,” Samuel replies. “What? Does your heart race when you see me? I’m flattered, but I like girls.”

“Shut up,” Jihoon retorts. “I never said that, and just know that even if you were the last guy remaining on earth I wouldn’t like you.”

Samuel holds a hand to his chest and pretends like he’s hurt, “Ouch. I might consider dating you if you were the last guy on earth.”

Jihoon snorts at his friend’s remark, and continues sipping his chocolate milk. Okay, so his heart wasn’t supposed to race if Daniel was just a friend. He bites down on his straw, frustrated at his own indecisiveness. 

“Let’s go, the bell’s about to ring,” Samuel says and gets up from his seat. Jihoon follows, straw still in his mouth. He finishes his milk, and chucks it in the bin. 

Jihoon hears a thud, and then a loud shout. He turns to see where the shout came from, and sees Samuel on the floor, his chocolate milk spilt all over another student’s white shirt. Jihoon immediately rushes over to his friend and helps him stand up.

“I’m really sorry!” Samuel apologises to the student, who doesn’t look too happy with his stained uniform.

“Are you kidding me?” the student yells, which catches the attention of the other students in the cafeteria. Some start to crowd around to see how the situation will progress. 

“I’ll pay for your laundry fee, I’m really sorry,” Samuel apologises again and the boy pushes Samuel, but Jihoon catches his friend before he can fall again. By now, Jihoon’s blood is boiling.

Jihoon shoves Samuel behind him and stands in front of the boy, “Hey. My friend already said sorry and offered to pay for laundry. There’s no need to get physical.”

The boy only snickers and pushes Jihoon aside before grabbing a cup of water on his table and hurling it on Samuel, which drenches him. The students crowding around gasp, but none of them step up to help.

Jihoon has never planned on going to detention for anything other than his pranks, but this time he acts faster than he can think. Jihoon grabs the boy’s shoulder and lands a fist on his jaw, which sends him flying backwards. 

“Sam, you okay?” Jihoon turns around to check on Samuel, who fortunately looks fine to him, apart from being drenched and a little traumatized. Samuel nods, and manages a soft “Thanks”.

Jihoon feels himself being pulled away from Samuel before the boy lands a fist onto his cheek and he stumbles onto the floor. For a moment, Jihoon thinks that he’s going to faint but he manages to stay conscious. He tastes blood in his mouth, and the pain from the punch starts to set in.

Jihoon lies on the floor, waiting for the next attack when he hears a loud, “Hey!” that shushes the murmurs of the loud crowd surrounding him. Jihoon opens his eyes, and he sees Samuel helping him up.

“Aren’t you Samuel?” the same loud voice asks his friend. And Jihoon recognises the voice now. It’s the same one that called him handsome, the same one that had confessed to him.

Daniel is looking as Daniel as ever. His tie is loose, his shirt crumpled and untucked. Jihoon tries to say something, but the words won’t find their way out.

Jihoon has known Daniel long enough to know how he looks like when’s he’s mad. And he was mad.

He hears Daniel curse under his breath and before Jihoon can go and stop him, Daniel grabs the boy by the collar and drags him away from the crowd after saying, “I’m going to kill you.” The boy might have a strong fist, but he’s reduced to nothing under Daniel’s grip and struggles pathetically as he’s led away by Daniel.

Jihoon has threatened to kill someone many times, but most of the time he’s joking because he doesn’t know what else to say to express himself. However, the look in Daniel’s eyes isn’t joking and Jihoon scrambles to his feet.

“Let him settle it,” Samuel holds Jihoon back, “Let’s get you fixed up.”

Jihoon can’t even tell Samuel that he knows Daniel, and he knows that Daniel isn’t playing around this time, and that he might make a terrible mistake if he isn’t careful.

“I’ll be back,” Jihoon assures his friend, “Don’t worry. I’m just going to check things out.”

Samuel lets Jihoon go, and he immediately runs after Daniel, hoping that no one will follow him. At first, it looks like Daniel has vanished along with the boy but Jihoon hears his familiar growl.

“I already warned you the previous time; that if you created any more trouble with anyone I wouldn’t let you off,” Daniel’s voice gets clearer as Jihoon approaches one of the empty classrooms.

“He punched me first,” the boy responds, now sounding smaller and more desperate. 

“You must have done something to him for him to punch you, idiot!” Daniel yells, and Jihoon flinches. In a lower voice, Daniel says, “Don’t you know who I am? If you don’t want to get kicked out of this school don’t even come near to that boy and his friend again.”

There is silence, and Jihoon is afraid Daniel might have really killed the boy.

“I understand,” the boy says. A few seconds later, Jihoon sees the boy running out of the classroom. Jihoon comes out of hiding, and peeps inside the empty classroom, where Daniel is crouching on the floor.

Jihoon knocks softly on the door, and Daniel greets him by cupping his face in his large hands.

“Are you okay? Where did he hit you?” Daniel fires his questions at Jihoon, not giving him any time to answer.

“Now that you’re literally squeezing the life out of me, yes. And it hurts,” Jihoon quickly removes Daniel’s hands from his face – not because he doesn’t like it (he does), but because it hurts when Daniel touches the place the boy punched him.

Daniel smiles sheepishly, “I was so worried. Don’t worry, he won’t be coming after you or Samuel anymore.”

Jihoon narrows his eyes suspiciously. “You didn’t do anything to him, right?”

“Of course not, I’ll leave the fighting to you,” Daniel says and Jihoon breathes a sigh of relief, then he leans closer to inspect the bruise, “That looks like it really hurts, I can’t believe you got hurt again.”

“I’m fine,” Jihoon replies, rubbing his cheek. “I’ll get going now.”

“You came after me because you care for me, right?” Daniel asks.

“Uh… I guess? I didn’t want you killing some guy,” Jihoon shrugs, then adds, “You should get going too, don’t skip classes!” 

“Okay,” Daniel waves goodbye, “I’ll see you at your house later.”

Jihoon nods and makes his way out of the room before anyone can see them. Then, he walks back and pokes his head in and says, “By the way, Daniel. That was pretty cool of you.”

He doesn’t have to wait and see Daniel’s reaction, he knows he’s grinning like a fool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

His classmates stare at Jihoon when he returns to class. Fortunately, his teacher isn’t there yet so he doesn’t have to come up with an explanation on why he’s late. Jihoon looks at the ground, not used to the attention and slides into his seat, next to Samuel.

“You okay?” Jihoon asks his friend.

Samuel nods, “Thanks. I should be asking you that, you took a hit for me.”

Jihoon points at his bruise (which by the way, looks worse than he’d expected it to be) and laughs, “This is nothing. Don’t worry, Daniel took care of him.”

Samuel frowns, and Jihoon realises how casually he’s just referred to Daniel when they’re supposed to be complete strangers in school.

“You know him?” Samuel is sharp, and doesn’t miss it.

Jihoon shifts his gaze and pretends to be fascinated with his pencil, “We talked a little in detention. That’s all.”

Fortunately, Samuel doesn’t press him for further information, “The asshole who you had to clean the school with? He seems pretty nice though, maybe you were wrong about him.”

Jihoon can’t hide his smile when his friend compliments Daniel. It seemed so long ago that Jihoon was feeling immense hatred for this obnoxious and arrogant boy.

“Right?” Jihoon agrees, “He was like some kind of superhero. Swooping in to save the day and all that.”

Samuel chuckles, “Alright. Don’t fall in love with him.”

Jihoon almost chokes, and turns away in time so that Samuel can’t look him in the eye. He didn’t realise how spazzy he’d just sounded in front of his friend. Then again, it’s unbelievable how Samuel can read his emotions without even meaning to.

He clears his throat awkwardly, “Don’t be stupid.”

Fortunately, their teacher walks in and Samuel stops teasing him. Jihoon grips his pen and licks his lips nervously. He wasn’t lying – Daniel did just save him for the third time.

“Is this what liking someone feels like?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few students hi-five Daniel when he returns to class, his friends following silently behind him. Some even compliment him for helping Jihoon. 

“Wow,” is all Taewoong says when they take their seats in class. “You really didn’t hesitate back there.”

Daniel looks at him, “What do you mean? The kid was getting beat up. I was wondering why you guys weren’t following behind me.” Daniel admits, he does feel a little betrayed because his friends made him take the rep. 

“I told you I can’t go to detention again because my parents would kill me. You can do anything you want and get off scot-free because your dad owns this school!” Jinwoo defends himself and Jaehan nods furiously in agreement.

Daniel sighs, and puts his head down on the table because he can’t refute that.

“I must say,” Jisung comments, “Pretty boy hasn’t changed much since we first saw him. Still feisty.”

“Shut up,” Daniel replies 

Jisung glare at him, “What? Don’t tell me you somehow caught feelings for him while you guys were cleaning the school together.”

Taewoong hums in agreement, “It did look like you were swooping in to save a damsel in distress back there.”

“Of course not,” Daniel defends himself. He doesn’t know why he’s lying, but he doesn’t want anyone to know about him and Jihoon. They were his little secret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon’s bruise looks even worse when Daniel arrives at his house after school that day, and his blood boils at the thought of Ha Minho even daring to lay a finger on Jihoon.

“Stop staring and come in,” Jihoon says, and Daniel follows him into the small house he’s become familiar with. He’s only been here for a month, but he strangely feels at home in this small space.

“I didn’t bring any food today,” Daniel explains, “Because I’m going to cook for you.”

“That,” Jihoon says, “Sounds like a fucking disaster.”

Daniel can’t help but feel offended when Jihoon judges his cooking without even trying it once. Still, he looks through Jihoon’s fridge and takes out a few ingredients he needs to make lunch for them both. Jihoon is observing him silently from the side.

“Do you realise how domestic we’re behaving right now?” Daniel wonders aloud. He’s never cooked for anyone except himself when their helper goes on a holiday.

Jihoon rolls his eyes and walks away, “Don’t burn my house down.”

In Jihoon code, Daniel knows he means ‘I’m looking forward to what you can do’. Then he remembers something and points to his bag, “I washed your shirt. It’s in my bag, you can take it back.”

Jihoon rummages through Daniel’s bag, and finds the bag where Daniel kept his shirt – and a few other things.

“You only borrowed two shirts from me,” Jihoon says, and Daniel can’t believe how dense a genius like Jihoon can be. He doesn’t say that out loud, though.

“The rest are mine,” Daniel says.

Silence from Jihoon’s side.

“Why?” Jihoon asks, keeping his shirts in his cupboard.

“I brought some of my clothes over in case you decide to let me sleep over again,” Daniel explains, proud of himself. The previous night, he’d packed some of his shirts and jeans to bring over. 

“I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon,” Jihoon replies. Daniel doesn’t argue; he knows it’s going to happen again – one way or another.

Jihoon observes Daniel for a while, and Daniel knows he’s starting to get impatient when he taps his fingers on the kitchen counter. Daniel also knows he’s impatient because he starts blowing at his bangs.

“Do you want to help?” Daniel offers. To his surprise, Jihoon nods.

“I haven’t cooked anything in my life except instant noodles,” Jihoon warns, and Daniel lets him cut the vegetables instead, which he assumes is the safest job for someone as inexperienced as Jihoon.

Daniel realises he’s wrong when Jihoon yelps, “Ow!” and he leans over to see blood on Jihoon’s index finger. 

“Damn it,” Daniel says as he rushes over to take out a plaster from his bag. He helps Jihoon put it on and makes Jihoon watch from the side. “You have to stop getting hurt.”

“I’m bored,” Jihoon sulks. “When is the food going to be ready?”

“Please don’t rush the MasterChef,” Daniel retorts.

“Is that any way to speak to the person you like?” Jihoon argues. Daniel knows he’s set himself up for trouble ever since he’d let his confession slip so easily to the most stubborn and frustrating person in the world.

He’s not about to let Jihoon win in any argument, at least not for now.

“You don’t like me back so I could really care less,” Daniel comments. 

“Are all guys jerks like you?” Jihoon tries to see what Daniel is doing with the stove but Daniel purposely blocks his view with his broad body frame.

Daniel grins as he feels Jihoon grabbing onto his shoulders for support when he stands on his tippy toes. “No, most guys are as annoying and stubborn as you.”

Jihoon gives up and lets go of Daniel’s shoulders when he runs out of strength, “Then why do you like me if I’m so stubborn and annoying?” 

Daniel grabs two plates and divides the food into two portions. He’s not one to brag, but his food does smell good. All those late nights he’d spent binging on MasterChef episodes did pay off somehow.

“I’m not going to tell you,” Daniel says in a sing-song manner as he brings the two plates to the table, Jihoon scrambling after him.

“Tell me,” Jihoon insists. 

“No,” Daniel refuses. “Eat your food.”

Jihoon is about to talk back when Daniel feeds him a mouthful of the fried rice he cooked. He’s instantly silent, and Daniel knows he’s already won half the battle with his food.

“It’s delicious,” Jihoon admits, and Daniel starts digging in as well. 

“I’d make the best husband,” Daniel comments.

“Debatable,” Jihoon muses, and he finishes the entire plate of rice.

He even steals some rice off Daniel's plate when he thinks Daniel isn't looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel is brain dead when they finish tuition for the day, and he can tell Jihoon is exhausted as well because he doesn’t even have the energy to chase Daniel away when dinner time comes.

“Can I ask you something?” Daniel lies down on the hard floor and uses his arm as a pillow.

“As long as it’s not related to school,” Jihoon groans.

Daniel hesitates before asking, “Am I the first person that has confessed to you?”

Jihoon nods, “Yeah.”

“Oh,” Daniel answers, not knowing how else to continue. At the age of eighteen, Daniel doesn’t know much about love, all he knows is that Park Jihoon is the first person he’s confessed to.

The first person he’d dated was a girl in middle school – she had come up to him and asked Daniel to be her boyfriend, to which he said yes because he thought it would be cool. After a month, she dumped him because she’d found someone else she liked better.

During Daniel’s second year of high school, his friends set him up with this boy they thought he would like. Their first dinner date went well, and the boy said they should start dating; so, they did. After three months, they realised it wasn’t working out and broke it off.

“You probably made a mistake,” Jihoon says. “I’m not someone you should like.”

Daniel frowns and sits up, “What does that even mean?”

Jihoon smiles, but Daniel knows it’s not a happy smile, “I’m not a nice person. I have many secrets. I’m also angry most of the time. I’m not perfect genius Park Jihoon everyone thinks I am.”

“I don’t like you because I think you’re perfect,” Daniel argues. “I’m far from perfect too.”

“Then why do you like me?” Jihoon challenges.

Daniel chews on his lower lips. It’s this question again, but this time he knows Jihoon needs to hear the answer.

“Because you’re different,” Daniel feels embarrassed to talk about his feelings in front of Jihoon at first, but it gets easier the more he says.

“You weren’t afraid of me,” Daniel explains, “You stand up for your friends, which means you’re loyal. You can be a brat sometimes but behind your cold exterior you’re caring.”

Jihoon is silent when Daniel finishes. 

“And you’re pretty,” Daniel adds, grinning. “I think you’re the prettiest person I’ve seen in my entire life.”

And Jihoon is smiling again, which means everything to Daniel. “Stop, you’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not!” Daniel protests. “And I like how comfortable I feel with you. Like I can just be myself.”

With Jihoon, he’s not some principal’s son, he’s just plain, old, Kang Daniel.

“I feel comfortable with you too.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon means it. He’s never felt words flow out more naturally when he’s with Daniel. Even when they’re bickering about the smallest things in the world, everything feels right to him.

Daniel fits just like a puzzle piece into his life, and he doesn’t know how he’s been managing without this piece. He might not know everything about Daniel, but he feels like this is all he needs to know. Even though he’s daydreaming while Daniel is playing games on his phone, it just feels right.

“Hey,” Jihoon pokes Daniel’s cheek. “Aren’t you going to go home?”

Daniel swats his hand away, “After I finish this game.”

“Fine, let yourself out when you’re done. I’m going to bathe,” Jihoon says. Daniel hums in agreement and Jihoon goes to fetch his pyjamas from the closet.

It feels right when Daniel’s clothes take up the bottom shelf in the cupboard, even though he doesn’t stay here. Jihoon grabs the top shirt from the bottom shelf before he can regret his decision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Is that my shirt?” Daniel’s eyes grow wide when Jihoon steps out of the bathroom. Daniel hasn’t moved from his position ever since Jihoon had gone in to shower.

‘’Is it?” Jihoon choruses innocently as he dries his hair with a towel. “You chucked your clothes in there so I took whatever was on top.”

“Pretty sure I put my stuff on the bottom shelf though…” Daniel tries to argue but trails off when he starts tapping on his phone furiously again. 

Anyone can tell that the shirt is obviously Daniel’s. It’s ridiculously big for Jihoon, but he refuses to admit it. He likes it, it’s comfortable and airy – he might start wearing Daniel’s shirts regularly from now on.

“We’re meeting tomorrow, right?” Daniel asks, his eyes still glued to his phone screen.

Jihoon nods, “Yeah, sure.”

Daniel celebrates with a dance when he finishes his game, and Jihoon assumes he must have won or obtained another high score.

He has a suspicious grin on his face when he looks at Jihoon, and Jihoon knows he has another one of those crazy ideas again.

“What? Are you not going to leave?” Jihoon asks,

“Let’s skip school and watch a movie together. The cinema’s always empty in the mornings,” Daniel suggests, to which Jihoon rolls his eyes.

“Yes, because everyone’s supposed to be at school,” Jihoon offers unhelpfully. 

Daniel walks over and lies down on the mattress Jihoon has laid out. Jihoon tries to shove Daniel away, but he doesn’t even budge.

“Come on,” Daniel whines. “It’ll be fun. Why? Do you have something to do at school?”

“No,” Jihoon answers. 

“Cool. I’ll be here at nine in the morning,” Daniel says. “You can wear my shirt out if it makes you happy.”

Jihoon can’t lie, he’s tempted. He hasn’t been to a cinema in a while, he just can’t afford to spend his money like that. Spending a day out sounded way better than listening to his teachers drone on about math in class. And he could just tell Samuel that he was sick.

“We’ll see,” Jihoon replies, which means ‘Alright’. Daniel smiles and finally gets up from his bed, and Jihoon knows he’s gotten the hint. He packs his bag and leaves after waving goodbye one last time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel knocks on Jihoon’s door at exactly 9am the next day, and a sleepy-eyed Jihoon answers the door, wearing another one of Daniel’s shirts. He raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t say anything although the sight makes him fall deeper in love.

“Stop staring,” Jihoon warns, “Let’s go.”

They make their way to a nearby café for breakfast first, and Daniel pays for Jihoon’s morning toast. (of course)

Daniel is having a good morning until something catches his eye. It’s Jisung, in his home clothes, walking towards the café. Daniel doesn’t even have to think twice to know that Jisung has decided to skip school as well. He only has a few seconds before Jisung comes in and discovers him with Jihoon – a situation he isn’t keen on explaining right now.

Jihoon sees Jisung coming as well, and goes wide-eyed from the shock. Without considering the consequences, Daniel grabs Jihoon’s arm and pulls him out the back door just before Jisung enters the café.

They run as fast as their legs can carry them, and Daniel realises that Jihoon is an even faster runner than he is.

When they can’t see the café anymore, they slow down to catch their breath.

“You’re crazy,” Jihoon huffs, but he’s smiling. “But that was fun.”

“Was it?” Daniel replies. He’s not sure almost exposing himself in front of his friend was fun, but his legs are killing him and he doesn’t have the strength to argue.

“Let’s go,” Jihoon grins, his toast still in his hand.

They go to a nearby cinema, which is practically empty (as it should be on a school day) and decide to see the latest action movie. Daniel pays for the tickets, and almost pays for the popcorn as well before Jihoon stops and insists that he has to pay for something as well.

What Daniel doesn’t count on having in the action movie is a kissing scene – and a really detailed one at that.

Even Daniel has to look away out of embarrassment. Next to him, Jihoon is covering his eyes with two of his hands.

“That’s what two people do when they like each other, by the way,” Daniel whispers to Jihoon, who almost snaps Daniel’s arm.

“It’s a good thing I don’t like you back,” Jihoon says.

“Why?” Daniel feels offended. “I’m a pretty good kisser.”

“I didn’t need to know that,” Jihoon replies. 

Daniel wants to say something smart like ‘should I show you?’ but he thinks he would be risking his life for something like that. Instead, he gathers enough courage just to hold Jihoon’s hand, which is already cold.

“What are you doing?” Jihoon says in a harsh whisper, and Daniel doesn’t know why he’s whispering when they’re the only ones in the cinema.

Daniel doesn’t let Jihoon pull his hand away. 

“I’m holding your hand because I can’t kiss you right now,” Daniel explains. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Daniel hears Jihoon mutter but he doesn’t struggle to swat Daniel’s hand away. 

Halfway through the movie, Daniel turns to sneak a look at Jihoon. He can’t help but laugh when he finds Jihoon sound asleep. He thinks he should take this opportunity to just kiss Jihoon on the lips but decides otherwise.

Daniel carefully places Jihoon’s head on his shoulder so he can sleep more comfortably and makes sure Jihoon is asleep before he carefully whispers something he’s been wanting to tell Jihoon.

“I really like you, you know?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was more of a bridge character and more fluff before i hurt you guys hah a 
> 
> next chapter gets more serious so yea!
> 
> again thank u for reading hehe please leave me loads of comments bec they really motivate me to keep updating, see you tomorrow!


	7. waiting for you

Jihoon’s eyes flutter open when the lights in the cinema flicker and he realises the credits are rolling on the screen and he’s lying down on Daniel’s shoulder.

“Was the movie that boring?” Daniel teases, and Jihoon notices that he’s still holding Daniel’s hand. He quickly pulls away, embarrassed although there’s no one except them in the cinema.

Jihoon nods, the movie was no fun at all. The usual banter between the leads, a few action scenes – nothing he’s never seen before. He enjoyed the comfortable chair more than the movie, honestly.

“Super boring,” Jihoon comments, and he stands up to leave. “What are we doing next?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

They spend the day like kids in an amusement park, and Jihoon feels like he hasn’t felt so happy in such a long time. Daniel takes him to a nearby arcade, they get ice-cream after a hearty lunch when Jihoon decides they should go home and get back to helping Daniel study for the next test.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Daniel asks on the way home.

Jihoon nods excitedly, “Of course. I don’t remember when I last had this much fun. Thank you, I needed this.”

Daniel grins cheekily, “Shouldn’t you give me something in return?” He points to his cheek and Jihoon is suddenly conscious of the people surrounding them. His temperature goes up, and his heart starts racing again.

“I’m kidding,” Daniel says and Jihoon breathes a sigh of relief. “You can do that when you feel like it, okay?”

Jihoon would love to give Daniel’s cheek a kiss, but there’s something stopping him. He’s aware that he reciprocates Daniel’s feelings for him, but he’s scared to tell him the truth about himself. Would Daniel still like him after knowing he was responsible for all the school pranks?

In an even worse situation, Daniel could totally freak out on Jihoon and report him to the school and everyone would know that Jihoon wasn’t Mr. Perfect after all.

“Okay,” Jihoon nods. They could take their time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon knows something is wrong when Samuel is at his door on a school afternoon in his uniform. He’s too shocked to see his friend waiting at his front door to even ask Daniel to hide himself. Samuel spots Jihoon, and runs to him immediately.

“Jihoon,” Samuel’s voice is shaky. And Jihoon knows something is terribly wrong.

“Is everything okay?” Jihoon asks, holding Samuel’s trembling arms. Samuel’s eyes are moist, and Jihoon hasn’t seen Samuel cry in over five years.

Samuel steadies himself by holding onto Jihoon’s shoulders, “Don’t freak out and listen to me carefully.”

Jihoon nods, waiting to see what Samuel has to say. He has completely forgotten about Daniel’s presence. 

“The hospital called the school, but you weren’t in class. So they looked for me… and they told me to tell you that… your mom,” Samuel chokes up at this moment, but Jihoon knows what he’s going to say. 

Jihoon waits for Samuel to continue, but he can’t; because he starts sobbing into Jihoon’s shoulder. Jihoon feels his knees go weak and he collapses onto the ground. His head is spinning, but he manages to snap out of his daze, “Sam, she’s okay… right?”

Samuel shakes his head slowly, and Jihoon feels his whole world crashing down. His happy feelings from before having disappeared and are replaced with many things; fear, anger, and misery.

“She… passed,” Samuel continues. “Around an hour ago. I ran here as fast as I could. I’m sorry, I should have told you earlier, I didn’t know where you were.”

Jihoon wants to scream at Samuel and tell him to stop talking nonsense, that his mother wasn’t dead; she was just sleeping. Like she had been sleeping for the past four months in the hospital bed. Memories of the night of the accident invade his thoughts again, and Jihoon feels faint.

“We should go,” Samuel gets a grip on his emotions, “My parents are at the hospital, waiting for you.”

Jihoon’s world is spinning, and he can barely hear Samuel calling out to him. He wants nothing more than to dig a hole into another world where his parents are still alive – both of them. This is all but a nightmare; Jihoon’s worst nightmare.

Two pairs of arms grab onto Jihoon and help him stand up again, which Jihoon assumes belong to Jihoon and Daniel. His vision is still blurry when his friends help him down the stairs and into the taxi. Daniel is looking at him now, and his mouth is moving, but Jihoon can’t hear a single thing.

All he can think of is if his parents have really left him alone in this cruel world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samuel’s parents embrace Jihoon as soon as they see him, and Jihoon knows this isn’t some sick prank or a nightmare. It’s real. He recognises the doctors, the ones who have been telling him not to lose hope that his mother will wake up. 

Jihoon can’t help it, he rushes towards the doctor and grabs him by the collar.

“You said you would treat her!” Jihoon yells, screams echoing throughout the entire hospital, and a crowd has started to form. This time, Jihoon could care less about being the centre of attention; all he wants now are his parents back.

The doctor hangs his head down low, “I tried my best. I’m so sorry for your loss. She was doing so well, she was giving us signs that she would wake up soon.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Jihoon cries, tears streaming down his face. He drops to the ground when he loses his grip on the doctor’s collar. Neither Samuel nor Samuel’s parents step in to stop him; nobody does. Would they act any different if it was their own mother they had lost?

They let Jihoon enter the morgue to say his last goodbye. He carefully lifts the cloth, and breaks down again when he sees his mother’s face. She looks peaceful, to say the least. But Jihoon knows she’s gone. The colour from her face is gone, and she’s no longer wearing her radiant smile anymore.

Jihoon’s hands find his mother’s slender fingers, but they’re cold. The warmth they used to exude is absent. Whether Jihoon can accept the truth or not, his mother is gone.

His grief transcends into anger. There’s only one person to blame for all this, the person who brought misfortune upon Jihoon’s family that one night four months ago, on his birthday. Jihoon strokes his mother’s hair once last time and covers the body again.

“Bye, mom,” Jihoon chokes out. “I love you. And I’ll avenge you and Dad no matter what.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon stares at the wall blankly for two hours after exiting the morgue, and Samuel’s parents let him. He’s extremely thankful that he doesn’t have to face this horrible incident alone. If he had been left alone to deal with the sudden news, he’s afraid he would have broken down.

“Baby, she loved you so much,” Samuel’s mother comes to sit beside Jihoon. She holds Jihoon’s hands, and for a moment, Jihoon can feel his mother’s warm hands holding his again.

“Don’t worry about the funeral, we’ll take care of everything,” Samuel’s dad offers. “Just take your time to grieve – and know that all of us are here for you.”

Jihoon nods numbly, and Samuel’s parents leave to give Samuel some alone time with his friend. Samuel’s eyes are red and swollen, and Jihoon knows his friend is suffering as much as he is.

“Remember when you said you didn’t know where I was just so that I could play at your house a little longer?” Samuel says as he takes a seat beside Jihoon. Although his heart pains at the thought, Jihoon nods and manages a small smile.

“And my mom would find you every time,” Jihoon adds. They were seven then, and Jihoon would make Samuel hide; sometimes under his bed, or in his cupboard so that Samuel didn’t have to go home. His mother would entertain them for a little longer before pulling Samuel out from wherever he was hiding.

“She was as important to me as she was to you,” Samuel chokes out. “I always thought of her as my second mom.”

Jihoon’s tears pool at Samuel’s confession. “I know.”

Samuel places his hand on Jihoon’s thigh, “She’s in a better place. And you’re not alone, your parents left you with another mom and dad, and maybe an annoying brother.”

Jihoon nods, and lets Samuel pull him into a hug. He lets his tears flow, because he knows his tears are safe with Samuel. Samuel pats his back like a baby, and lets him cry for as long as he wants. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samuel’s parents insist Jihoon spend the night at their house, but he refuses. All he wants is time alone to think, to cry, and to grieve. They understand, and drop him off just below his house and say they’ll pick him up the next morning for the funeral.

Jihoon thanks them, although he wants to do so much more. Jihoon’s steps have lost all their hope, and he trudges up the stairs. The world suddenly feels scary now, without a mother to shield him from all the evil monsters. Of course, he’s been living fine for four months, only because he’s been hanging onto the hope that his mother will wake up one day.

She’s gone forever, Jihoon thinks. He looks up at the sky and wonders if his parents are staring back down at him, and whether they feel guilty for leaving him all alone. Jihoon fishes his keys out of his pocket and drops them.

Even his hands have lost the motivation to function properly. Jihoon bends down to pick up his keys when another pair of hands picks them up first. 

“You dropped something,” a familiar voice brings Jihoon back to reality. In the dark night, Daniel’s smile looks as radiant ever – like a rainbow after a storm. Jihoon collapses into Daniel’s outstretched arms and he hugs him even though he has no idea what Jihoon is crying about.

Jihoon grips onto Daniel’s shoulders as the tears pour out from his eyes. In between his sobs, he manages to ask, “Can you please stay the night?”

Daniel nods, stroking the back of Jihoon’s head, “Of course. Let’s go in before you catch a cold.”

Daniel unlocks Jihoon’s door easily while continuing to hold Jihoon in his arms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon is forced to take a shower by Daniel, and he admits that he feels just an inch better after a warm shower (and crying five times). Daniel has laid out the mattress for him, and is waiting for him with open arms. He doesn’t bother to dry his hair, and allows himself to melt into Daniel’s embrace again.

“You can cry if you want to,” Daniel says. “Let it all out.”

Jihoon nods, and the tears sting his eyes again. Daniel constantly helps Jihoon wipe his tears away when they flow down his cheeks. 

“She left me alone,” Jihoon sobs quietly. Daniel helps Jihoon dry his hair with a towel and holds his hand.

“You are not alone,” Daniel insists. “I’m here, with you.”

“You won’t be here forever either,” Jihoon cries. “One day, you’ll leave me alone too.”

Daniel stops drying Jihoon’s hair and holds Jihoon’s head close to his chest. “I’m always going to be here.”

Jihoon lifts his head to take a proper look at Daniel. He’s still wearing his shirt from that morning, although it’s moist because of Jihoon’s tears now. He must have waited for Jihoon to come back from the hospital the whole time. Daniel’s eyes are glassy, and Jihoon feels a familiar heart racing feeling start in his body again. 

Daniel is right, he isn’t alone. At least for now.

Jihoon shifts so that he’s facing Daniel now. “Why aren’t you asking me what happened?”

“I don’t want to press you for answers. You can tell me if you feel comfortable with me knowing,” Daniel replies, and Jihoon hesitates. If he tells Daniel about his mother, he has to tell Daniel about the accident; which leads to the prank and ultimately Kang Yoonseok. And Daniel will know everything about Park Jihoon.

Jihoon has known Daniel for a little less than a month, yet he feels like he can trust Daniel with anything. Besides, his head is hurting too much for him to think straight. He wants to let Daniel mend his broken heart, he wants someone to hold.

Jihoon takes Daniel’s hands in his, “Promise me you won’t run away when I tell you.”

Daniel doesn’t even hesitate for a second, “I promise. I can’t leave you, Park Jihoon.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It happened four months ago, but I can remember everything like it happened yesterday. It was my mother’s birthday, and we’d decided to go out for dinner. My parents love drinking, so they drank, but not enough to be completely drunk. They hold their alcohol very well.” Jihoon says, and has to take a deep breath before continuing.

Daniel squeezes Jihoon’s hands to assure him that he’s there. 

“Dinner was amazing, we were having such a good time,” Jihoon recalls. “And we went home quite late, there weren’t many cars at the usual junction.”

Jihoon swallows nervously, the next part is always the hardest to tell. “The light was green, I saw it clearly. So my parents went, and the next thing I saw next to me was another car’s headlights. It looked like it was travelling towards me in slow-mo. I knew it would hit us.”

Daniel’s grip around Jihoon’s waist tightens, “And for a while, I saw nothing. Black, everything was so dark. I was unconscious for a while.”

Jihoon can almost smell the wrecked metal and car petrol as he tells Daniel the story. He can almost see the blood flowing down from his parent’s heads at the front seat. He can almost feel the pain in his legs again.

“And then,” Jihoon continues. “I saw him. The driver of the other car.”

Jihoon pauses, the name on the tip of his tongue. He shudders in disgust at the thought of the man who had taken his parents away from him. 

“Jihoon,” Daniel urges. “Who was he?”

Daniel needs to know, Jihoon thinks. He’s not going to run away, Jihoon convinces himself. Jihoon looks straight into Daniel’s eyes as he answers his question. His blood boils at the thought of the memory of the man looking through the car window and not bothering to help.

“His name is Kang Yoonseok. Or you may know him as the principal of our school.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel’s world stops in an instant. He’s convinced this is a nightmare, or a horrible coincidence that the one who had crashed into Jihoon had the same name as his father. 

“The principal of our school,” Daniel repeats to himself, and his heart knows Jihoon is telling him nothing but the truth. He unknowingly lets go of Jihoon’s hand, too shocked at the news. Daniel has too many questions to ask, but Jihoon keeps on talking.

“The next thing I know I’m in a hospital. The doctors tell me I’ve been sleeping for three days,” Jihoon says, and Daniel knows he’s nervous.

“They tell me my father died on the spot. And my mother was in a coma – they didn’t know if she would wake up, or if would wake up in the first place. I guess not, since she passed away this afternoon.”

Daniel’s suddenly afraid. First, he’s afraid because if Jihoon’s story is true, his father is a murderer. He’d killed the parents of the boy he loved.

“I hate him, Daniel. I hate Kang Yoonseok so much,” Jihoon says in a pained voice, like it physically hurts to even say his name. Jihoon’s eyes are glassy and he buries his head into Daniel’s chest again and starts sobbing.

Daniel pats Jihoon’s back numbly. His father must have compensated them, or admitted to his crimes. However, he’s never heard of his father being involved in a car accident from his parents. Jihoon must have make mistake somewhere. Daniel’s father couldn’t have been the driver that night.

He doesn’t want to make it more painful for Jihoon, but Daniel needs to know more.

“Jihoon? Did the driver – I mean Kang Yoonseok. Did he turn himself in? Or compensate you?”

Jihoon lifts his head and smiles sadly while shaking his head, and Daniel starts to feel his heart sink.

“Daniel. The court ruled my parent’s death as drunk-driving. No other car was mentioned, they told me that my parents were drunk and crashed into a tree.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon remembers how shocked he was when the police had told him that. He was still in bed when a petite female officer had come to take his statement on the incident. Jihoon told her everything he had remembered, including seeing Kang Yoonseok’s face.

The doctors told him that the crash had distorted his memory, and that there was no evidence of someone else crashing into his parent’s car. Just like that, the police had made Jihoon’s parent’s death into a mere drunk-driving incident.

Jihoon knew it was murder.

He smelt a rat when the police told him that investigations had closed, and sneaked into the police station one day when he had been discharged. Kang Yoonseok was talking to the head police officer, and Jihoon’s eyes widened when he saw Kang Yoonseok handing him money.

He quickly ducked under a table to get a closer look, and he would never forget what he heard that day.

_“Chief, thank you so much for your help this time. Let me know when I can treat you to dinner.”_

_“Mr Kang, this amount of money is enough. You’ve been such a great help to my family in the past, the least I could do was return the favour.”_

He never caught Kang Yoonseok talking about this incident to anyone again. Even when he paid regular visits to the police station to beg them to reopen the case, they had refused.

“I was in the car! I’m all the evidence that Kang Yoonseok is a murderer!” Jihoon had yelled, and he had been thrown out of the police station multiple times.

The world was a shitty, manipulative and evil place, and Jihoon had to learn it the hard way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“He used his money to get out of his crime,” Jihoon concluded. “I won’t let my parents die such an unfair death. I will destroy Kang Yoonseok, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

Daniel’s hands have gone clammy ever since Jihoon had revealed the truth behind the case. The worst thing about this is that Daniel knows that his father is completely capable of pulling such things. He’d seen his father giving higher ups big amounts of money whenever they came over, but he never cared much about what he was doing.

Jihoon continues even though Daniel says nothing, “The only thing I could do to avenge my parents is to reveal Kang Yoonseok’s crimes myself. I have no evidence, but I will haunt him for the rest of his life.”

He doesn’t know what to say to Jihoon, or whether it’s the right thing to do to tell Jihoon that he’s the son of the murderer of his parents.

All he does is pat Jihoon’s back softly and hugs him tight.

“Daniel?” Jihoon’s voice is muffled, and Daniel realises he hasn’t said anything to Jihoon yet.

“Hm?” Daniel hums.

When he locks eyes with Jihoon again, he doesn’t see the snarky, bratty boy from a month before. He doesn’t see the innocent, loveable Jihoon he’d fallen in love with.

All he sees is vulnerable, lonely and broken Park Jihoon.

“Are you going to leave?” Jihoon asks, his top lip trembling.

Daniel knows he’s made a decision even before he says it aloud. He’s caught in the middle – he can stand on his father’s side, or on Jihoon’s.

Daniel is angry too, that his father could even manage to sleep well at night knowing that he had escaped scot-free after almost killing an entire family. 

Suddenly, everything fits together like a piece in a puzzle. All the school pranks, Daniel knows Jihoon is responsible.

_“May the blood shed by those you brought death upon come back to haunt you.”_

Everything makes sense. Jihoon is angry, and he has every right to be. His father has bought over the police with dirty money, rendering Jihoon both helpless and hopeless. 

His father is the reason Jihoon has to live in this small space alone. His father is also the reason Jihoon is struggling to get by. 

And maybe it’s the Gods above playing with Daniel’s and Jihoon’s lives, but Daniel knows his heart only stands with one person and one person only.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon trusts Daniel wholeheartedly, even though he’s learnt never to trust anyone else in the world anymore. For some reason, he wants to trust Daniel.

“Can I ask you for a favour?” Jihoon wipes his tears away.

Daniel squeezes his hand and nods, “Anything.”

“Can you come with me to the funeral tomorrow?” Jihoon’s voice hitches when he mentions the word ‘funeral’, but he knows there’s no escaping the reality now.

Daniel doesn’t say anything for a moment, and Jihoon is afraid that he’s scared Daniel away.

“I’ll be there, you don’t have to worry,” Daniel replies, and Jihoon knows he’s made the right decision to open up to Daniel.

Daniel listens to Jihoon tell him all about the school pranks, how he and Samuel plan it out, how they observe when the security guards go home and how they avoid all the security cameras when they sneak into school at night.

“That’s all,” Jihoon concludes, suddenly feeling exhausted. It’s like a huge burden has been lifted off his chest when he tells Daniel the truth. “I’m not who you expected to be, right?”

Daniel smiles as he plays with Jihoon’s hair, “No. But I like you better now, thank you for telling me everything.”

And the world doesn’t seem so scary to Jihoon anymore. Even if the people he loved most in this world left him, they had at least left him an angel. Jihoon would pull through and get through this, he was strong enough.

“Shall we sleep now?” Daniel asks and Jihoon nods, knowing tomorrow is going to be an extra-long day too. He puts aside his worries and lets Daniel cover him up in a blanket. The mattress is too small to sleep comfortably, but Jihoon fits just nicely into Daniel’s embrace.

It reminds him of the time he snuck into his parent’s room whenever he was afraid of the monster under his bed, and he would squeeze in between the both of that. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but he felt safe.

And he feels the same with Daniel.

“Goodnight,” Jihoon whispers, although he knows he’s probably not going to get any sleep tonight.

“I’m here,” Daniel whispers back.

Jihoon tosses and turns in his sleep, careful not to wake Daniel. Daniel is exhausted, and falls asleep quickly. When exhaustion finally takes over and Jihoon’s eyes flutter shut, his world goes black and his worries disappear.

He wakes up again when he feels Daniel get up from the mattress, and he’s suddenly afraid that Daniel is going to run away and leave him alone. Jihoon grabs Daniel’s arm.

“Don’t go,” Jihoon pleads. “Stay here with me.”

“I have to go home and change, okay?” Daniel explains. Jihoon realises that the sun is rising, and Samuel’s parents will probably be at his front door in the two hours to fetch him to the funeral.

Jihoon lets his grip slip from Daniel’s arm, “Yeah, sure. Sorry, I was just…”

Daniel doesn’t wait for Jihoon’s explanation, “I said I won’t leave you. Just believe me, okay?”

“Okay,” Jihoon relents, and he gets up from his mattress too, knowing he won’t be able to fall back asleep alone anyway. He watches Daniel get up, put on a jacket and leave after giving Jihoon one last hug.

“I’ll see you later, I promise,” Daniel says and leaves Jihoon alone. The fear and insecurity starts to creep in again, and Jihoon knows he can’t break down again. He trudges over to his cupboard and picks out a plain black shirt and black jeans. He doesn’t even have a proper outfit for his mother’s funeral. 

Jihoon jumps into the shower, and turns up the heater. He can worry about the bills later.

Samuel’s parents arrive earlier than the agreed time, and he’s grateful because if he had to spend another minute alone in his small space, he might actually lose his mind. Samuel’s parents greet him with a hug, and he slips into the back seat of their car. It’s raining, which is perfect for a funeral, Jihoon thinks.

He’s miserable, and so is the entire world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel tries his best not to wake anyone when he unlocks the front door of his house. Unfortunately, he bumps into the person he least wants to see at the moment.

“Daniel,” his father calls out from the kitchen. He’s having his morning coffee, and Daniel can’t remember the last time he’s seen his father in the kitchen. “Come here.”

He trudges into the kitchen and awkwardly stands next to his father. His father has aged, wrinkles more obvious now and the number of white hair strands have increased. When he looks directly into his father’s eyes, he doesn’t see the man who has raised him. All he sees is a murderer.

“Where were you the entire night?” his father questions, and Daniel wants to scoff. It’s not like his father comes home every night either.

“I stayed over at Jisung’s house,” Daniel replies, and tries inching his way out of the kitchen, then stops.

He bites on his lower lip. Deep down, Daniel wants to believe that Jihoon’s memory is really distorted and he remembered the entire accident wrongly. His father may not come home every night, and he might do dirty business, but he’s not cruel enough to bribe the police to get off scot-free for murder.

“Do you by any chance… know our neighbourhood’s police chief personally?” Daniel regrets it as soon as the question escapes his mouth.

His father doesn’t let his eyes leave the newspaper he’s reading, “No, I don’t. Why? Did you get into trouble with the police?”

Daniel wants to grab his dad’s collar and ask him why he’s lying, and that if he’s committed the crime the least he can do is to admit to his mistakes. However, Daniel says nothing and runs up to his room.

He puts on the suit his mother had bought him to wear to important dinners. And he wonders how the world would be if he had no parents. Although they weren’t the most close-knitted family, Daniel could never imagine having an empty house to come back to.

He can’t even imagine never eating his mother’s home-cooked dishes again. 

Daniel realises exactly what his father has taken away from Jihoon – everything, and so much more.

“Where are you going?” his mother calls out after him when he runs out the door, “Aren’t you going to school?”

He wonders if his mother knows the truth as well, and how she could bear to sleep next to the man who’s destroyed a loving family. Daniel wouldn’t be surprised if he was the only one being kept in the dark, he knows what his parents are capable of.

It’s raining when he leaves. Even the sky is crying for Jihoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The funeral is a small event, held in the same hospital Jihoon’s mother had passed. No one is there except for Samuel’s family and Jihoon himself. He remembers that Jihoon doesn’t have many friends, and his eyes sting with tears.

He bows to Samuel’s parents, and even gives Samuel a quick hug. Judging from Samuel’s family’s devastated expressions, they must have been closer than Daniel had thought.

They leave the room, leaving Jihoon and Daniel alone. Daniel pays his respect to Jihoon’s mother, and she looks beautiful in the picture placed in front of the coffin. She has the same radiant smile as Jihoon, and her eyes are beautiful, just like her son.

“I’m here,” Daniel says to Jihoon when he finishes paying his respects.

Jihoon’s fists are clenched tightly together, and Daniel knows Jihoon is trying his best not to cry again.

“Thank you for coming,” Jihoon replies. He doesn’t hesitate to dive into Daniel’s arms, and the tears start flowing again.

There’s a heavy feeling in Daniel’s chest that he hasn’t been able to get rid of since yesterday. And he knows exactly what that feeling is – fear.

The extreme fear he feels when he thinks about how Jihoon will react when he finds out Kang Yoonseok is his father. He’s never been more afraid than now; about how sure he is that Jihoon will leave him as soon as he uncovers the truth. Jihoon is sure to hate him, and Daniel understands. He would hate the son of the murderer of his parents too.

For now, the words are hard to form. Daniel knows there is no way he can find the courage to ever tell Jihoon the truth. And he comes to the scariest conclusion.

Daniel is no different from his father.

He’s selfish; he wants Jihoon all to himself. What Jihoon deserves is the truth, to know that he’s poured out his feelings to the wrong person. But all Daniel wants is for Jihoon to never find out so that he won’t hate Daniel.

Daniel is a big, fat, cowardly liar – just like his father. He lies to Jihoon, only because he loves him.

“I’m so sorry,” Daniel thinks as he tries his best to calm Jihoon down. “Please understand me, I just want to protect you.”

Daniel wants to protect whatever he and Jihoon have. And he’ll do whatever it takes to never let Jihoon feel like he’s alone in this world.

“You can cry all you want,” Daniel assures. “After today, you’ll be a stronger Park Jihoon.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the funeral and the burial is settled, Samuel’s parents send Daniel and Jihoon back to Jihoon’s home. Samuel’s mother pulls Daniel back as Samuel leads Jihoon into his house.

“Please take care of Jihoon,” she pleads. “I… I can’t even imagine how much he’s going through right now. Me and my husband, we keep trying to ask Jihoon to move in with us, but he refuses to take any of our money.”

That sounds exactly like what Jihoon would say. Daniel knows Jihoon would rather die than burden others because of his own situation. He nods, and takes Samuel’s mother’s hands in his.

“I’ll be there for him, I promise,” Daniel assures, and he means every word.

When Daniel passes Samuel to go into Jihoon’s house, their eyes meet for a moment; and Daniel is afraid that Samuel somehow knows everything – who Daniel is and what he’s trying to do.

Samuel only nods subtly at Daniel, and walks back to his parents. For now, Daniel is safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ll cook you something,” Daniel offers when he changes out of his suit into more comfortable clothes. Jihoon is staring blankly at the wall, his hands around his knees. Jihoon doesn’t hear him the first time, so Daniel walks over and places his hand on Jihoon’s shoulder.

“Hey? You must be hungry, I’ll cook you something, alright?” Daniel repeats.

“I’m not hungry,” Jihoon sighs. 

Daniel understands, he wouldn’t be in the mood to eat either. “I know. But I don’t want you to starve yourself. I’ll cook just a little.”

He leaves Jihoon alone, because he knows Jihoon needs his own time and space to grieve over his mother. He prepares the ingredients in silence, and he wishes Jihoon would complain about how long he’s taking to make him lunch but he doesn’t. 

Daniel wants Jihoon to threaten to kill him, or argue with him, but house once full of their bickering has been plunged into a deafening silence.

Suddenly, Daniel feels two arms wrap around his waist. He grins, and looks back to see Jihoon hugging him tight.

“A back hug?” Daniel can’t help but sound happy, “You’re making my heart flutter.”

The only way to make Jihoon smile again is with his jokes. Although they offer only temporary relief, Daniel knows it’s better than nothing.

“Really?” Jihoon’s more-cheerful-than-usual voice quips from behind. “Maybe I should do it more often, then.”

“Not when I’m cooking,” Daniel warns, “I might burn the food if I look at you for too long. You’re distracting.”

“Hmph,” Jihoon sulks and lets go of Daniel’s waist. “Fine.”

Daniel chuckles when Jihoon helps to set the table. Jihoon still looks sad, and Daniel knows he’s trying his best to hide it. The wound in Jihoon’s heart is still fresh, but Daniel knows it’ll heal as time passes.

Jihoon digs into the food as soon as Daniel places his share onto the table.

“I thought you weren’t hungry,” Daniel groans. “Now I have to cook more.”

“That’s what you have to do for the person you like,” Jihoon replies, and Daniel knows he’s setting himself up for another bickering session, and this time, he likes it.

“Thank you,” Jihoon says, which catches Daniel off guard. “For listening to me. I know it’s fucked up and I understand if you don’t want to be friends with me anymore. Just… please keep my secret well for me?”

Daniel’s hand stops mid-air, his spoon halfway into his mouth. He frowns.

“I don’t want to be friends anymore,” Daniel insists. Hurt flashes through Jihoon’s eyes, but he looks down quickly and continues eating his food.

“I understand-“ Jihoon begins, and Daniel knows he’s choking up.

“I want to be more than friends.”

Jihoon looks shocked for moment, then he smiles. And Jihoon’s smile is all Daniel needs to decide that he’s never going to let Jihoon lose that smile again. He’ll do all he can to protect Jihoon from the truth – because he knows the truth is going to hurt so much more.

“Maybe later,” Jihoon finally replies, still smiling at his food.

Daniel is satisfied, “I know. I’m waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the truth is finally revealed!!
> 
> do let me know what you thought of the big reveal and leave me many many comments about how you felt so that i'll feel motivated to update :)
> 
> school is starting tomorrow for me so no more daily updates, i'm hoping to update at least twice every week; so please bear with me!!
> 
> again, thank u for reading and for all your kind comments and i'll see you next time <3


	8. hate you, love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa sorry for taking so long school is eating me up ;;
> 
> enjoy!

School seems drearier when Jihoon returns after three days of grieving. He’s not feeling any better, but he has to return before any suspicions are raised, so he drags his feet to class in the morning. Samuel is already in his usual seat, and smiles warmly when Jihoon enters the class.

Jihoon knows he’s not alone, he has Samuel.

“Finally, I thought you’d leave me to die in this hellhole alone,” Samuel jokes, but Jihoon knows what he really means is “I’m glad you’re back’. Jihoon plops down into his chair, and is glad none of his classmates ask him why he’s skipped school for three consecutive days.

“I could never,” Jihoon assures his best friend. “I know I’m your only friend.”

“Excuse me,” Samuel defends, “That’s because I’ve been stuck with Mr. Perfect since I was seven, no one else wanted to befriend me after that.”

Jihoon sticks out his tongue at Samuel, “Live with it.” 

Samuel lowers his voice, “Hey, are you friends with Daniel?”

He turns to look at his friend, and feels his heart thump even at the mention a particular boy. Jihoon gulps, and tries to maintain a cool front (although Samuel can see through him), “We’re detention acquaintances.”

Samuel raises a suspicious eyebrow, then decides not to argue with Jihoon. All he says is, “It was really nice of him to be there for you.”

Their teacher walks in before Jihoon can try to explain his relationship with Daniel. Luckily, Samuel doesn’t look too curious either as he takes out his textbook and starts flipping to the page they were going to work on today.

Jihoon doesn’t know how to explain his relationship with Daniel either. It’s much more complicated than Daniel having feelings for him and him (maybe) feeling the same way about Daniel. They’ve slept in the same bed twice, they see each other almost every day. Yet, Jihoon can’t decide if he’s brave enough to admit how he truly feels.

He’s guilty. For making Daniel wait. For making Daniel wait on him even though he hasn’t promised an answer. Jihoon can only hope Daniel is willing to wait just a little longer for him to sort out his feelings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel eyes Jihoon worriedly across five tables in the cafeteria as he pretends to nibble on his food with his friends during lunchtime. He’d given Jihoon three days to spend alone, and only popped by once on the second day to make sure Jihoon was eating his meals.

Even though Jihoon looks fine, Daniel knows how well the other boy bottles up his feelings and hides behind his cold façade. Samuel says something to Jihoon, and he smiles in return.

It feels good to see Jihoon smile, even though he’s not the source of his happiness. He feels contended just seeing Jihoon happy. Daniel just hopes Jihoon isn’t faking it.

“What are you staring at?” Jisung pokes Daniel’s arm, bringing Daniel back into their conversation. He’s zoned out for a while now, he only remembers his friends discussing about the new McDonalds’s menu launch and how they’re going straight after school to try it out.

“Nothing,” Daniel waves them away. His friends cast him strange looks, but don’t pry further. 

“So, we’re all going to McDonald’s after school, right?” Jaehan asks. 

Daniel shakes his head, he has tuition scheduled with Jihoon after. “I can’t. I’m busy.”

“You’re never busy,” Jisung argues. “Did you get into detention again?”

Daniel suddenly remembers his tutoring sessions are supposed to be kept a secret. His mind works faster than ever to come up with an excuse, “I uh… have to go and run some errands for my mom. Yeah, sorry.”

He sees his friends exchange suspicious glances, and tries his best to look as interested as possible in his lunch to avoid any further questions.

Luckily for Daniel, his friends return to their conversation about food and video games and he’s left to stare at Jihoon again. Daniel wonders how Jihoon doesn’t have multiple boys and girls pinning after him. He’s easily one of the best-looking people Daniel has come across in his entire life.

Maybe it’s the bratty personality – but Daniel has come to love that as well. 

Samuel walks off, leaving Jihoon alone. Jihoon looks up to scan his surrounding and spots Daniel looking at him. 

“Stop,” Jihoon mouths from five tables away. Daniel’s embarrassed that he was caught by his crush for staring, then remembers he literally confessed his feelings to Jihoon in the heat of the moment back then and realises it isn’t embarrassing at all.

Daniel winks playfully, and Jihoon wears a disgusted expression on his face. 

“I’ll kill you later,” Jihoon mouths, which makes Daniel smile. Death threats shouldn’t make Daniel smile; but death threats from his super cute crush do.

Daniel jokingly makes a kissy face at Jihoon, to which the other responses by shaking his head and looking down at his drink again. Even though there’s a frighteningly high chance of one of his friends looking over and seeing him make kissy faces, Daniel just wants to tease Jihoon for his cute reactions.

Luckily, his friends are too caught up in an argument about ‘which is McDonald’s best burger’ to even notice that Daniel is flirting with a boy five tables away.

Unrequited flirting, that is.

Jihoon finally meets Daniel’s eye again, then waves and mouths “See you later”. He then picks up his drink and walks away. 

Suddenly, Daniel starts finishing up his food quickly and stands up abruptly, interrupting his friend’s heated argument. 

“I’ll go talk to someone,” Daniel mumbles and carries his tray away from the table to return it to the cleaning station before any of his friends can protest. He cranes his neck to try and see where Jihoon is walking towards, and immediately follows.

The hallway is empty, except for a few students Daniel doesn’t recognise. Jihoon still hasn’t noticed Daniel following behind him yet. Daniel knows he’s practically asking to be found out when he strolls beside Jihoon, but he can’t hold it in any longer.

“Hey,” Daniel greets Jihoon casually.

Jihoon looks shocked to see Daniel so close to him in school, and immediately scans his surroundings for anyone that could recognise them. 

“What are you doing? Do you want to be found out?” Jihoon mutters, gaze still fixated on the path in front of him.

Daniel nudges Jihoon’s shoulder playfully, “It sounds like we’re secret spies or something. Like we’re on a secret mission no one else can know about.”

He resists looking at Jihoon, because it would look too obvious to anyone that they were on more-than-friendly terms, but he knows Jihoon is probably rolling his eyes right now.

Daniel hears Jihoon say, “That’s not far from the truth.”

He follows beside Jihoon silently, and even manages to wave to some of the students he recognises on the way. None of them ask why he’s walking beside Jihoon, they don’t even spare the boy next to him a glance when they walk pass.

Daniel should feel grateful. Instead, he’s dumbfounded. How can anyone tear their eyes away from the prettiest boy in the world? He gets braver when they walk down an empty hallway, and slings his arm around Jihoon’s shoulder.

Jihoon’s big eyes meet his, and he quickly squirms to get away, but Daniel doesn’t let him get away. 

“What are you doing?” Jihoon says in a hushed whisper, his eyes busy searching for anyone that could walk past and discover them.

“Nothing,” Daniel smiles. “Can’t we do this until the end of this hallway?”

“Someone could see us,” Jihoon reasons, then stops himself mid-way. “Wait. Why are you talking like you’re entitled to,” he points to Daniel’s arm around his shoulder, “this.”

“Because,” Daniel explains, “I just want to do it.”

Jihoon sighs, and lets Daniel’s arm rest on his shoulder. Daniel’s footsteps slow, dreading the end of the hallway. He wishes they could stay like this together.

Daniel stops cold in his tracks when he spots someone from far away. It’s not any student, or a teacher, or one of his friends. It’s much, much, worse. 

His father rarely walks along the hallways, Daniel knows he stays in his office most of the time, However, the one and only Kang Yoonseok is walking towards them, and is bound to catch them any moment. Daniel glances at Jihoon, he hasn’t noticed his father yet. Lucky for Daniel, his father is busy talking to a teacher, and hasn’t seen them either.

Without considering the dire consequences his actions could bring, Daniel pushes Jihoon into the janitor’s storage room and shuts both of them inside. 

“What-“ Jihoon protests and Daniel quickly holds his hand over Jihoon’s mouth to keep him from talking.

Daniel maintains his position in the dark room until he hears his father and the teacher walk past the janitor’s cupboard. He’s glad he’s strong, because Jihoon is struggling to get out of his grip. And his father discovering them in a janitor’s cupboard together could be disastrous.

When there’s complete silence outside, Daniel lets Jihoon go.

“Are you crazy?” Jihoon yells. Even though it’s dark, Daniel can tell that Jihoon is fuming. 

“What was that for?” Jihoon questions. Daniel’s heart is still beating fast from the near-death encounter. His ears are ringing and he can’t find the words to explain what just happened to Jihoon.

“Daniel?” Jihoon prompts when he doesn’t reply. “Are you okay?”

Finally, Daniel regains the strength in his legs and voice, “Yeah. I’m fine. I’m s-sorry.”

“Where are you?” Jihoon asks, and Daniel feels Jihoon’s hand feeling his arm and moving downwards as he tries locating Daniel in the dark room. Daniel finds Jihoon’s hand almost immediately, and holds it in his.

“Here,” Daniel answers.

“Okay, I’m here,” Jihoon says, now in a calmer voice. Daniel feels Jihoon slide in next to him. They sit in silence in the dark.

“I haven’t seen you in forever. You sure you’re doing okay?” Daniel asks into the darkness.

“You saw me two days ago,” Jihoon reminds Daniel. “But yes, I’m fine. It still hurts, but I’m fine.”

Daniel squeezes Jihoon’s small hand to show his support, “You will be.”

They’re plunged into silence again. Daniel wonders why the world is being so unfair to him. What did he do in the precious life that the gods above would allow him to fall in love with Park Jihoon – the boy that his father had brought so much pain to. All Daniel could manage to do now was to hold Jihoon’s hand in the dark, away from the crowd – when he desired to do much more.

“So,” Jihoon clears his throat, “Did you bring me here just to hold my hand? I have better things to do, you know.”

Daniel chuckles. “No, you don’t.” He attempts to reach over and stroke Jihoon’s hair like he always does.

“Ow! That’s my eye, fucking idiot,” Jihoon complains. 

“Oops, sorry,” Daniel apologises. Jihoon grabs his hand and puts it on his cheek, which is still warm and soft, exactly the way Daniel remembers it.

“My hand’s as long as your face,” Daniel observes aloud. 

“No, it’s not!” Jihoon protests. “You just have… really big hands.”

“And you like them,” Daniel teases. 

“I do not,” Jihoon stresses. “That’s enough. I need to get going for class. I’ll see you later.”

Jihoon gets up, leaving Daniel sitting alone on the floor. Suddenly Daniel is afraid to lose this bratty boy. Screw that, he’s fucking terrified that he’ll lose Park Jihoon.

“Promise?” Daniel asks, and his voice is strained.

“What?” Jihoon replies. His voice then softens, “Of course, yeah. I promise.”

Jihoon opens the door, letting light into the pitch-black room. Jihoon slips out before Daniel can say anything else; and he’s left alone sitting on the floor again. Daniel knows it’s mean of him to say this, but he wishes he could be someone else’s son so that he can hold Park Jihoon’s hand in public and not in some small janitor’s storage room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel lets himself into Jihoon’s house that afternoon, not thinking to knock. Jihoon scrambles to hide something as soon as Daniel steps into his house.

“Jesus, have your parents not taught you to knock before entering?” Jihoon snaps, clearly flustered.

“Sorry,” Daniel says, then cranes his neck to look at what Jihoon is hiding behind his back, “What were you doing?”

Jihoon purses his lips together, which is a habit he has when he’s thinking hard about something. His arms relax, and he pulls out the papers from behind him.

“You know this already,” Jihoon sighs. “I was just planning for the next school prank.”

Although Daniel knew long ago that Jihoon was responsible for all the school pranks, the news still hits him like a bolt of lightning in the night sky. He tries to look unfazed, but his heart starts beating faster at the truth he’s hiding from Jihoon.

“Oh,” is all manages as he sits next to Jihoon. “When is it happening?”

“Thursday,” Jihoon smiles proudly. “The Education Board is coming to visit on that day, it would be perfect to see Kang Yoonseok frantically trying to cover this prank up.”

Yes, it would be perfect. It would be perfect because Jihoon deserved to hurt the person who caused him hurt. It wouldn’t be perfect because Daniel knows Kang Yoonseok is his father.

“Great,” Daniel replies. “Mind if I take a shower before we begin?”

“Sure,” Jihoon answers happily. And it hurts Daniel’s heart, because Jihoon looks so proud of his notes and maps he has collected of the school compound. Daniel isn’t going to dampen his spirits, so he grabs a random shirt out of their shared cupboard and shuts himself in the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The amazing aroma is what Daniel first observes when he steps out of the bathroom. The next thing he observes is that Jihoon looks breathtakingly beautiful from behind. (It’s no new observation, Daniel just likes to remind himself of that fact).

“Hey, I decided to make us lunch today,” Jihoon explains when he sees Daniel staring at him. It’s a rare sight to see Jihoon cooking, considering the last time Daniel let him hold a knife he’d cut himself. 

“Don’t poison me,” Daniel jokes as he dries his hair.

“Are you kidding? If I wanted to kill you I would do it in a slower way,” Jihoon turns to Daniel and fixes an angry glare on him.

“I’m flattered,” Daniel replies, and leaves Jihoon to concentrate on cooking for fear that he would somehow burn his own house down if he was distracted.

He sets the table, and Jihoon carries the pot of stew to their table. Daniel immediately digs into his lunch, and Jihoon looks at him expectantly.

Daniel wants to tease Jihoon by putting on an act, but the taste of the stew betrays him.

“It’s amazing,” Daniel gushes. “Really. Where did you learn to cook from? I thought all you cooked was instant noodles.”

Jihoon’s expression relaxes as soon as Daniel compliments his dish. 

“I’m a natural at this,” Jihoon replies. “I don’t know, I just wanted to thank you for being there for me the past week, so thank you.”

The thought of Jihoon thinking of Daniel as he cooks makes Daniel feel warm inside; and it’s not the hot stew. All he can think of in response is how he wants to be there for Jihoon in whatever he does.

The words escape Daniel’s mouth, and he knows he won’t be able to take them back.

“I was thinking if I uh…” Daniel trails off, then pushes himself to finish talking even though he knows it’s a bad idea, “I could help you with carrying out your pranks.”

Jihoon is shocked when Daniel proposes his idea.

“It’s because I’m angry too, at Kang Yoonseok. I want to help you get him back, I may not be much help but you know I’m strong, I could help you carry stuff,” Daniel knows he’s blabbering a bunch of lies from the back of his head when he’s trying to convince Jihoon.

“I don’t know,” Jihoon says when he finally recovers from his shock. “It’s late at night. And I don’t want you to get implicated.”

Daniel knows this is the time to back out, to pretend like this conversation never happened between them. But all he feels is determination.

“I know,” Daniel replies. “But you’ll let me be there for you, right? I want to help you.”

Jihoon chews on his lower lip, and there is silence between the two. Daniel hates himself; he knows how much of a hypocrite he’s being right now. 

But he didn’t choose to fall in love with Park Jihoon, neither did he choose to be his father’s son. 

“Okay,” Jihoon smiles. “Don’t regret it, though.”

Daniel’s heart swells, “I would never.”

There’s no going back now. This is the decision Daniel had made – and even though he knows it’s going to come back slapping him like a boomerang one day, there’s nothing better than Jihoon smiling because of him right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon paces around as he waits for Samuel to arrive at his doorstep that night. He’d sent Daniel home early so that he could have some private time to talk and explain everything to Samuel privately.

When Daniel had offered to help Jihoon out earlier, he was both shocked and ecstatic. He was shocked that Daniel was willing to put himself through danger just to help Jihoon get revenge on Kang Yoonseok. He was ecstatic because he was wrong about Daniel.

Jihoon is wrong about Daniel in many ways – he had thought Daniel would lose interest after learning about his story, but he’d stayed with Jihoon despite that.

Jihoon was wrong – he thought he could never trust anyone else in this world again. And Daniel came along, proving that this cruel world did indeed have its angels.

A knock on Jihoon’s door forces him to stop thinking about Daniel.

“Is everything okay? You called me so late at night,” Samuel asks as soon as Jihoon opens the door for him. Jihoon doesn’t say anything, he just lets Samuel in.

“Is that your shirt?” Samuel eyes a shirt thrown on Jihoon’s bed suspiciously. Jihoon gulps, it’s Daniel’s. He’d changed into another shirt earlier before heading home; and like the messy person he was, he’d thrown it wherever he liked.

“I need to talk to you,” Jihoon ignores Samuel’s question and sits him down.

“I’ve been lying to you,” Jihoon finally says. 

Samuel looks shocked, then confused, “About what? You can tell me, I won’t be mad.”

Jihoon wants to convince himself that lying to Samuel about Daniel wasn’t a big issue, when in reality, it was everything. Because Daniel was everything to him.

“Me and Daniel…” Jihoon starts out, “We’re… I’ve been tutoring him for a while now. He offered me money to tutor him and I guess, I needed it. He’s been coming over almost every day after school.”

Samuel’s expression is unreadable, “So… are you just friends?”

“I… I don’t know,” Jihoon admits. “I swear I started tutoring him because I needed the money. Overtime, I got confused too.”

Samuel takes a proper look around Jihoon’s house, and realises there are traces of Daniel everywhere. His shirts strewn all over the floor, the sets of cutleries sitting neat the sink, the two toothbrushes in his bathroom. 

“Does he know?” 

Jihoon knows exactly what Samuel is thinking, because he’s felt the same way as well. 

“I told him everything. He was shocked at first,” Jihoon replies. “Then… he accepted me. He said he was still going to be there for me. I didn’t trust him, but now I do.”

“I’m sorry for lying to you,” Jihoon adds when Samuel doesn’t say anything. “I should have told you earlier.”

“Jihoon,” Samuel takes a deep breath before continuing, “I’m happy for you.”

Jihoon’s heart almost bursts from the anxiety, then the knots in his heart loosen when he realises Samuel isn’t mad at him. He smiles at his friend, “You are?”

His friend nods. “But Jihoon… you have to tell me the truth. Are you two more than friends?”

“I don’t know,” Jihoon admits, “He… he confessed to me. And I said I would think about it, because I’ve never dated anyone in my life. And he’s so- he’s everything and I’m nothing.”

Daniel has been nothing but amazing in Jihoon’s life. He’s only afraid that he could never be able to match up to Daniel’s love. Jihoon finally feels better after saying it aloud to someone else rather than bottling up his feelings.

“You like him,” Samuel concludes, and Jihoon doesn’t know how to reply. “Screw that, Jihoon. You’re in love with him.”

Even though Jihoon can’t trust himself, he knows he can trust his best friend.

“I’m making a big mistake,” Jihoon whispers, more to himself than to Samuel. “I want him, but I don’t want to screw up whatever we have right now.”

Samuel doesn’t even hesitate to put Jihoon in his place.

“It’s been so long since you were happy. If he makes you feel happy, hold onto him. You deserve that, at least.”

And it all makes sense to Jihoon. He’s as hopelessly in love with Daniel as Daniel is with him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon studies with Daniel until night falls on Thursday. He’s rarely this afraid to carry out his pranks. This time, he can’t focus on the questions in front of him. Instead, he keeps thinking about how he’s unknowingly dragged Daniel into the mess that is his life.

“You okay?” Daniel uses his pen to tap on Jihoon’s hand when he starts to space out. 

“Yeah,” Jihoon answers, knowing Daniel will see through his lies anyway. He’s not okay.

“I think we should stop here for today,” Daniel suggests, and Jihoon doesn’t even have the strength to argue. He’s not in the mood to solve any more math questions either. He looks at the clock, they have to leave and meet Samuel to collect the materials soon anyway.

Daniel closes his textbooks and packs his bags. 

“It’s going to be okay,” Daniel assures Jihoon.

Jihoon forces a small smile, and changes into a darker shirt in case any one of the security guards spot him from afar.

They leave Jihoon’s house and lock the door behind them, the pitch-dark night sky greeting them. There’s a slight cool breeze that sends chills down Jihoon’s spine, but he knows the chilly breeze isn’t the only thing that’s making him uncomfortable tonight.

Jihoon looks up at Daniel, who doesn’t show even a hint of anxiety on his face. Instead, he’s the exact opposite, looking like he’s out for a night stroll. The breeze ruffles his hair, and he looks even more breath-taking under the bright moonlight.

“Last chance to back out,” Jihoon warns as they near the meeting point the had arranged with Samuel earlier on.

Daniel smiles, and he looks like a charismatic prince to Jihoon. 

“Not happening,” is all Daniel says to assure Jihoon. 

It takes everything in Jihoon not to chase Daniel away and tell him to stay out of his business. 

“Daniel wants to do this,” Jihoon chants over to himself.

Fortunately, he sees Samuel jogging down the street with two plastic bags in his hands before he can let the bad thoughts get to him. 

“Here you go,” Samuel says as he hands Jihoon both bags and Daniel quickly swoops in to help Jihoon carry one. 

“Samuel. I never got the chance to properly introduce myself to you.” Daniel says, and Jihoon’s friend turns to face him. Daniel knows that Jihoon has told Samuel everything there is to know about their friendship (or complicated relationship). It’s strange for Jihoon to see Daniel and Samuel finally interacting with each other, considering he kept Daniel a secret from Samuel for so long.

“I know who you are,” Samuel replies, and Jihoon shoots him a look that says, “Play nice.”

His friend sighs, “Alright, Daniel. I’m Samuel, this shithead’s only friend for the past 10 years. I have to be back before my parents realise I sneaked out.”

Normally, Jihoon would have preferred Samuel to come along with him. He somehow felt safer with his friend, and knew he would always be in good hands whenever Samuel was around. Jihoon was down on his luck today though, and Samuel’s parents were keeping an eye on Samuel’s whereabouts. 

“Be safe,” Samuel pats Jihoon’s shoulder before disappearing into the night again.

Jihoon thoroughly checks through the supplies that Samuel has handed him. There’s not much, a few buckets of red paint and large brushes.

“You look like a professional,” Daniel comments as he watches Jihoon inspect the supplies.

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment,” Jihoon replies as he stands up again to face Daniel. “You ready to do this?”

“To commit my first ever crime? Hell yeah.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

They easily slip past the security guard on duty at the front gate and climb over one of the side gates. Jihoon’s heart is anxious that he’ll make a mistake, but his experience and instincts make up for his lack of focus today. Jihoon knows the map of the school by heart, and leads Daniel to the school’s assembly ground.

The plan is simple – paint the message Jihoon wants to send Kang Yoonseok on the concrete ground without getting caught. Jihoon knows it’s not going to be easy covering up such a big message, which is perfect when the Ministry of Education visits tomorrow morning.

“You can start on that side,” Jihoon instructs Daniel and hands him two buckets of paint with a large paint brush.

They work silently to not attract any unwanted attention. Jihoon knows the guards go home in half an hours’ time, and tries to hurry and complete the message. Daniel works fast too, which isn’t a surprise to Jihoon ever since they were made to clean together.

Jihoon smiles to himself as he’s reminded of those times. He might have hated to be spending time with Daniel; but now, he’s thankful for the time he spent.

“Slacking off already?” Daniel teases when he finishes up on his side and walks over to help Jihoon.

“Getting revenge is tiring,” Jihoon admits, making Daniel chuckle. And he loves seeing Daniel laugh – especially if he’s the one that caused it.

“That’s why I’m here to help you.”

They sit together on the steps near the assembly ground as they admire their work together.

The whole assembly ground is blotched red, an angry message reading, “You can run but you can’t hide.”

The first half of the message is written in Daniel’s chicken scratch handwriting, and the other half is Jihoon’s neat penmanship. It’s so obvious that it sends Jihoon into a fit of giggles. Suddenly, the message doesn’t look so intimidating anymore.

“I had fun,” Daniel confesses, lying down on his back.

Jihoon follows, and his gaze is immediately fixed on the night sky. There aren’t many stars twinkling tonight, but Jihoon can spot one or two shining brightly in the dark night sky. He’s never done this with Samuel before – just lying down after finishing up what they came to do.

“Me too,” Jihoon replies. “For once.”

“I’ve never had so much fun in my life,” Daniel adds. “I should thank you.”

“For what? For possibly landing you in trouble with the school authorities when they find out?” Jihoon laughs, “I guess you’re welcome.”

Lying down on his school’s assembly ground at 2am in the morning with Daniel makes Jihoon feel strange inside. 

_“You’re in love with him.”_

“I’m in love with you,” Jihoon wants to tell the boy lying down next time. Somehow, the words are always stuck at the back of his throat. Every time he gathers his courage to look at Daniel and finally utter the words he knows Daniel is waiting for, his confidence is crushed whenever he takes a good look at the boy.

Daniel is everything good in the world. He’s charismatic, cool, funny, and caring. 

And Jihoon is nothing compared to him. He has nothing to offer Daniel.

“Jihoon?” Daniel’s voice pierces through the silence of the night. 

“Yeah?” Jihoon answers, half-hoping Daniel can read his mind; and he’ll ask Jihoon if he likes him too, because Jihoon doesn’t think he’ll ever have the confidence to tell Daniel about his feelings without Daniel prompting him.

Daniel doesn’t ask about Jihoon’s feelings. Instead, he’s still looking at the night sky.

“Can you promise me something? No matter what happens in the future, you can’t hate me.”

Jihoon knows he’s hated Daniel before; only because he didn’t truly know who he was. Now that he has seen Daniel in his full glory, he knows he can never bring himself to hate the boy that brought light to his dark world again.

“I promise,” Jihoon intertwines his fingers with Daniel’s.

Daniel takes this as his cue to flip over and position himself right above Jihoon. And Jihoon’s heart is beating so fast he can’t hear anything.

He takes a proper look at Daniel’s features, and he realises why there are barely any stars in the sky tonight – they’re all in Daniel’s eyes.

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes upon,” Daniel breathes the words out, almost as if it pains him to keep it to himself any longer. His compliment makes Jihoon’s ears tinge red.

“Nonsense,” Jihoon argues. 

Daniel’s eyes fall with disappointment, looking slightly hurt that Jihoon doesn’t believe him.

“You haven’t seen yourself yet.” 

And Jihoon means every word he says.

Daniel’s eyes sparkle with something along the lines of happiness and excitement again, and when he smiles, his perfect line of teeth showing.

Jihoon’s eyes close instinctively as Daniel leans in closer to him, and curses when he thinks about how his lips are probably really dry and if Daniel kisses them he’s going to be disgusted. Half of his heart hopes Daniel dives right in and kisses him right there and then because this moment is perfect for them to-

Daniel’s fingers brush away Jihoon’s bangs, and presses his soft lips against Jihoon’s forehead.

Okay, so maybe not today.

Jihoon opens his eyes, his eyes meeting Daniel’s again,

“I-“ Jihoon begins. I love you, he wants to scream. I want you to do that again, he wants to tell Daniel. Daniel waits expectantly for him to continue, but as luck would have it, the words are stuck in his throat again.

“I’ll wait as long as you want,” Daniel says when he sees Jihoon struggling to form the words. He sits up properly and holds his knees against his chest. Although he’s trying to look strong and unaffected, Jihoon knows how disappointed he must be feeling now.

Daniel looks small with his knees up to his chest. He looks lonely, and hurt.

“I’m sorry,” Jihoon blurts out.

“Don’t apologise,” Daniel replies. “You can say anything you want. Just never say sorry to me.”

Jihoon reaches out for Daniel’s hand, once again surprising himself at how well his small hands fit perfectly into Daniel’s.

“Can you… give me more time? To think about it?” Jihoon pleads. “I just- I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want to lose you so easily.”

Daniel is silent for a while, and Jihoon thinks he’s already too late. He’s made Daniel wait too long, and he’s sick of waiting for someone who gives him false hope all the time.

Daniel lets go of his knees and lets his head rest on Jihoon’s shoulder. Jihoon stiffens from the unexpected contact, but he relaxed overtime. 

“I can wait forever for you,” Daniel replies. “Just don’t hate me, okay?”

“Stop saying that!” Jihoon retorts. “I may not be sure about my feelings but stop thinking that I’m going to turn my back on you!”

Daniel looks shocked at Jihoon’s outburst.

“Stop talking like I’m going to hate you one day,” Jihoon whispers as he wraps his arms around Daniel, but Daniel doesn’t reply him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys understand Jihoon's dilemma ;-;
> 
> not sure how long i'll take to get the next chapter completed but i won't keep you guys waiting too long!
> 
> next chapter will be happier for sure hehe 
> 
> thank u for all the kind comments aah please leave as many as possible because i love reading them and they keep me motivated to update :)
> 
> until the next update, take care!!


	9. you're the one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning major fluff ahead proceed with caution

The entire school gets called to the main hall the first thing in the morning the next day – and Jihoon knows it has something to do with the pranks, because for the first time in a while, Kang Yoonseok himself is standing on the stage. 

Jihoon sits down with his class, Samuel next to him. The other students start streaming into the hall, some cheering because this sudden call for the whole school’s attendance cut into their boring lessons. Jihoon tries his best to blend into the crowd of students, and tips his head downwards.

“We meet again,” a familiar voice makes Jihoon look up, and he sees Daniel sitting beside him, to which he adds softly with a smirk, “Partner.”

Daniel’s rowdy group of friends follow close behind him and take their places either beside or behind him. It’s not Jihoon’s fault that they have limited space in the hall, and all the students have to be squeezed tightly in order to fit the entire student population.

Their legs are touching, making Jihoon blush furiously.

“Shut up,” Jihoon snaps, trying to hide his smile, “I’m trying to sleep.”

Daniel pokes Jihoon’s cheeks when he rests his head on his arm. “Sleeping when the principal is about to make a speech? You’re being naughty.”

If Daniel wasn’t teasing him in a public space where the entire school could witness the murder of Kang Daniel, Jihoon would have long killed off this annoying and stubborn boy. 

“I’m sorry, is Daniel still bothering you?” one of Daniel’s friend joins in their conversation, shooting Daniel a glare, which makes Jihoon smile nonetheless.

“I’m just talking to him,” Daniel sighs in defeat.

“I’m fine,” Jihoon says, “I would appreciate it if you stopped talking to me, though.”

Daniel frowns, and starts to scooch towards Jihoon until their bodies are practically stuck together. Jihoon tries to ignore Daniel’s advances, but Daniel’s friends and Samuel are both shooting the two strange looks.

“Daniel!” a shrill voice calls out from behind them, and Jihoon turns to see a lady walking towards them. Jihoon takes a wild guess, that the lady is Daniel’s homeroom teacher.

“Get back to your place,” she points to the big space between Daniel and his friends. “Stop bothering others and keep quiet, the speech is about to start soon. And tuck your shirt in. For God’s sake, do you not know how to wear a tie?”

Daniel’s teacher walks away, shaking her head in disappointment as Daniel struggles to tuck his shirt into his pants and pulls his tie higher, but it’s still not up to the school’s standards.

“Let me help you with that,” Jihoon offers, and Daniel allows him to do so without any suspicion.

Jihoon’s fingers trail down to Daniel’s tie, and Daniel is wearing that obnoxious smirk that once made Jihoon hate him to the core. Now, his heart is beating wildly at the exact same smirk. Jihoon flashes one of his brightest smiles, and pulls the tie up to Daniel’s neck as quickly as he can.

Daniel chokes and immediately pries Jihoon’s fingers away from him, “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Daniel! Stop talking!” Daniel’s teacher calls from the back. Daniel groans and shifts back into his rightful position beside his friends.

“You’re so fucked up,” Daniel sulks (softly, this time, because he doesn’t want to get called out by his teacher again.)

Jihoon smiles at his victory. “Wear your tie properly next time,” he smirks.

Then, Kang Yoonseok takes the mic and the whole school goes quiet including Daniel. Jihoon thinks this is the perfect time to take a nap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_“I’m sure most of you have either seen or heard off the infamous pranks that have been taking place in our school the past few months. I tried to close an eye, but it’s getting out of hand. From now on, we will be taking legal action for vandalism and trespassing into the school compounds; which means I won’t hesitate to call the police on you, whoever you are.”_

Jihoon knows Kang Yoonseok is probably looking at him, but he can’t see anything because he has his eyes closed, and he’s taking the most peaceful nap in a while. He’s resting his head on Samuel’s shoulder, and his school jacket is the perfect blanket to keep him warm in their freezing cold main hall.

He hears students around him muttering, some speculating about who the prankster was. Thankfully, Jihoon doesn’t hear anyone mention anything close to his name.

Jihoon is about to slip into deep sleep before he feels someone poking his shoulder. He opens one eye, to see that Daniel has moved closer to him again.

“Stop,” Jihoon complains, moving closer to Samuel. “I just want to sleep.”

“You can use my shoulder, your poor friend’s shoulder is going to cramp up anytime soon,” Daniel says. Jihoon glances up at Samuel, who shrugs.

“He says it’s fine,” Jihoon argues. “What’s it to you, anyway?”

“My shoulders are broader,” Daniel retorts. “They’d make a better resting place.”

Jihoon would love to continue sleeping, but with Daniel’s incessant chatter next to him, he knows it’s even more impossible than him forgiving Kang Yoonseok for his crimes.

“You’re so fucking clingy,” Jihoon complains, finally giving in and resting his head on Daniel’s shoulder. He doesn’t know why he’s bothering to help Daniel keep their friendship a secret from everyone else in the school when Daniel himself doesn’t seem to give a single fuck.

“That’s better, isn’t it?” Daniel says smugly.

“Shut up, I’m sleeping,” Jihoon says as he buries himself under his jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A strong pair of hands pull the two apart as soon as Jihoon falls asleep, jerking him awake from his peaceful nap. Kang Yoonseok has finished his speech, and some of the classes are already walking out of the hall.

A very angry homeroom teacher is staring down at Daniel and Jihoon.

“See me outside, now,” is all she says before walking off. Jihoon groans loudly, what now?

Daniel stands up first, and offers his hand to help Jihoon up. Jihoon takes it, and follow behind Daniel despite the curious stares being thrown at them by the rest of the students in the hall.

“Sleeping!” the teacher yells as she points accusingly at Jihoon. “During the principal’s speech! Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is?”

Jihoon shrugs, “He doesn’t deserve any respect in the first place.”

“Don’t talk like that!” the teacher replies, now fuming. “For your disrespectful behaviour, you’ll be spending the day in the detention room today. Your good friend Daniel will be joining you, so reflect on your actions today.”

Jihoon watches the teacher storm off, and catches Daniel smiling. 

Daniel nudges Jihoon’s shoulder softly, “So, we meet again in detention.”

Jihoon rubs his eyes, still sleepy from his nap. Although he won’t ever admit it out loud, Daniel’s shoulder does make a good place to take a nap.

“Whatever, see you later,” Jihoon waves Daniel off as he re-joins his class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel is already in the detention classroom when Jihoon strolls in. He made an effort to get out of class early so that he could spend as much time with Jihoon as possible. Detention is now heaven to Daniel, and he smiles when Jihoon takes a seat beside him. 

“Long day?” Daniel asks when he sees Jihoon’s sleepy eyes.

“You made it even longer,” Jihoon replies, taking out his worksheets and starts doing them. Daniel follows suit, he has a test next week – and he wants to ace it.

Somewhere along the way, Daniel gets distracted by Jihoon’s hands. They’re significantly smaller than his, but he already knows this; because they’ve held hands multiple times. 

He starts doodling on the back of Jihoon’s hand, and Jihoon snatches his hand away quickly.

“Let me finish my artwork!” Daniel whines as he grabs Jihoon’s arm back onto the table. Surprisingly, Jihoon lets him complete his doodle; he even watches Daniel.

Daniel smiles triumphantly when he completes his doodle. Jihoon holds his hand up to inspect the doodle.

He’s being bold by doing this, but Daniel is impatient, and wants Jihoon to know how desperate he’s feeling.

_Kang Daniel ♥ Park Jihoon_

“Your handwriting ruins it,” Jihoon sighs and picks up the pen Daniel was using.

“Show me, then,” Daniel holds his hand out to Jihoon. Jihoon is focused when he’s writing on Daniel’s hand, and his lips purse together again. 

“Here,” Jihoon smiles when he finishes.

_Park Jihoon ♥ Kang Daniel_

Daniel’s heart is filled with warmth when he inspects Jihoon’s cute doodle. His insides feel funny, and the butterflies are swarming into his stomach again.

“We’re probably going to get infected by the chemicals in the ink,” Jihoon says, returning to the work he was doing. Daniel doesn’t care, he could be killed by any toxic chemicals in the ink but he was not washing the message off any time soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey,” Jihoon pokes Daniel’s arm with his pen, waking Daniel up from his slumber. It’s almost 6pm, which means they get to go home soon.

“Yeah?” Daniel replies immediately, rubbing his eyes.

“What do your parents do?” Jihoon asks. 

“W-why do you ask?” Daniel, for some reason, looks shocked when Jihoon brings up the topic of his parents.

Jihoon twirls his pen in his hand, “Nothing. I mean, you know everything about me. I just feel like it wouldn’t be fair if I don’t know much about you.”

And there’s something else Jihoon wants to achieve when he asks Daniel these questions. He knows Daniel respected his privacy back then and waited for Jihoon to tell him about his parents when he wanted to, but Jihoon couldn’t hide his curiosity as well as Daniel.

He’s almost certain that he wants to be more than friends with Daniel. 

But the thought of not knowing anything about Daniel scares him. Jihoon only knows that Daniel has lenient parents, considering how often he stays out late, and the times he’s slept over at Jihoon’s house.

Other than that, he knows nothing. It’s frightening, how Jihoon’s fallen so hard for someone he knows so little about.

“You don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable,” Jihoon quickly says when there is obvious discomfort on Daniel’s face. “I was just asking.”

“No,” Daniel replies. “I’ll tell you.”

“My parents aren’t on the best terms. My dad’s a businessman, and my mother is a stay at home wife. I don’t have any siblings. My dad rarely comes home, and I honestly don’t know much of him. My mom’s great, though.”

Suddenly, Jihoon feels guilty for asking. It’s as if he’s accidentally hit a raw spot in Daniel’s feelings.

He puts his hand on Daniel’s, just to remind Daniel that he’s there for him.

“Thank you for telling me,” Jihoon says. It wasn’t easy for Jihoon to open out to Daniel either, so he knows how hard it can be to talk about your own family.

“You can ask me anything. I owe you that, at least,” Daniel manages a weak smile.

Jihoon comes to the realization that not knowing all of Daniel shouldn’t matter to him. It shouldn’t bother him that he doesn’t know what Daniel’s parents do for a living, or if he has siblings or not. 

He knows that Daniel loves him for who he is, and he should do the same.

Jihoon decides that he’s not going to drag this out any further, he’s going to make Daniel his as soon as he can, regardless of all the things he doesn’t know about Daniel.

After all, they can do the ‘getting to know you’ part later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s raining – not too heavily, when they walk out of school. The sky is dark, and the thunder rumbles softly in the distance, indicating that the rain will only get stronger the longer they wait.

“Don’t you have an umbrella?” Jihoon asks, and Daniel shakes his head. He’s gotten tired of carrying around his umbrella because of the extra weight.

“I guess we can just wait here for the rain to pass,” Jihoon sighs and sits down on the steps leading into the school. Daniel gazes into the distance, and the rain doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon. 

Still, waiting for the rain to pass with Jihoon doesn’t seem so bad.

Daniel follows suit, and sits down beside Jihoon. He admires the cute message on his hand written by Jihoon and smiles to himself. He’s never thought of getting a tattoo, not because his parents think it’s ‘destroying your body’, but because he’s never had anything important enough to be inked onto his body forever.

Park Jihoon ♥ Kang Daniel would make a nice first tattoo, Daniel thinks.

“Should I cook dinner for you today?” Daniel offers. Having a nice homemade stew in this weather would be perfect. Even more so if he was having it with Jihoon.

“Really?” Jihoon cheers, his eyes twinkling happily.

“I see you’ve missed my cooking,” Daniel smirks knowingly. “Hmph, I knew you couldn’t live without me.”

Jihoon clings onto his right arm and rests his head on Daniel’s shoulder, “That’s what you think.”

Daniel thinks it would be amazing if they could stay like this forever, but he recognises a man walking out of the school’s head office. It’s almost 7pm, and Daniel was sure no one was in school except for a few students and the security guards on duty. Daniel almost collapses onto the ground when he sees his father walking towards them; his eyes glued to his phone.

Even though his father hasn’t seen them yet, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he gets recognised. Although he would love to have Jihoon lying on his shoulder for a longer period of time, he hoists Jihoon up from his sitting position and pulls him into the rain and starts running.

“Daniel! What are you-“ Jihoon can’t complete his sentence because he’s running as fast as possible to keep up as Daniel.

The rain is heavier now, and immediately drenches both boys when they run in the rain.

“Change of plans!” Daniel replies, still dragging Jihoon along by the arm.

He knows he’s probably going to get killed by Jihoon when they get back home, but he’s going to do everything to avoid meeting his father when he’s with Jihoon.

His legs carry him as fast as possible away from the school, his shoes squelching. Daniel knows he’s lost his father, but he keeps running – away from the reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon’s legs are tired but his heart is beating wildly as Daniel pulls him along. His hair is drenched, bangs sticking to his forehead and his uniform completely soaked. He wants to kill Daniel for ruining his clothes, but he feels free when he runs.

There’s just something about running in the rain which makes Jihoon’s stress and insecurities about Daniel melt away. The rain washes away his anxiety, and before he knows it, he’s laughing.

“You’re laughing?” Daniel raises his eyebrows when he turns to look back at Jihoon. Daniel is drenched as well, his hair sticking to his face. Daniel runs his fingers through his wet hair and it makes Jihoon go weak in the knees.

“Why are we running?” Jihoon immediately looks away as they slowed to a walk.

“I’m hungry,” Daniel offers uselessly, as if that was a perfectly good reason to start running home in the rain.

Still, it’s not too bad. Daniel’s hand still feels warm despite the rain watering down on their bodies. Daniel isn’t wearing his school blazer (like the rebel he is) and his white button up shirt is almost translucent from the rain, making Jihoon go red.

He averts his eyes, to which Daniel says, “Like what you see?”

“Shut up,” Jihoon mumbles. “If I catch a cold you’re taking care of me.”

“If not me, who else?” Daniel says in a sing-song manner, swinging their arms happily.

They must look crazy to anyone who happens to catch a glimpse of them. Two boys in school uniforms, holding hands and skipping merrily in the rain – and Jihoon loves everything about it.

“I’m tired,” Jihoon whines, his legs burning from the vigorous running from before. He lets Daniel’s hand go and drags his feet along the street. 

Daniel waits for him to catch up, teasing, “You’re so slow.”

Something in Jihoon’s head clicks when he looks at Daniel this time. Although he’s soaked from his head to toe, Jihoon thinks he still looks as breath-taking as ever. And Daniel holding his hand out to Jihoon in the rain? It sends his brain into a frenzy of feelings, and his heart is doing no better.

Daniel’s tie is as loose as usual, looking even more limp when soaked. Jihoon knows it’s a stereotypical bad boy look, but he can’t help but feel even weaker when Daniel looks like that.

“Your tie is loose again,” Jihoon mumbles when he catches up to Daniel again. 

Daniel’s hands fly defensively to his tie, “No! You almost suffocated me the other time. And I like it when I wear it this way, thank you.”

“Let me do it,” Jihoon insists, and steps closer to Daniel. He rests his eyes on Daniel’s tie, resisting the temptation to let his gaze trail any further.

He places his hands on Daniel’s tie, and wonders what the actual fuck he’s doing in the rain right now. Any longer and he knows he’ll catch a cold for sure.

Jihoon knows what the fuck he’s doing, or rather, what he wants to do. He’s wanted to do this ever since he first felt his heart skip a beat because of Daniel. And he’s failed to do this many times, because he was scared. The heavy rain somehow gives Jihoon the confidence he needs. He takes in a deep breath, and tugs Daniel’s tie downwards such that they’re facing each other.

“Oh,” is all Daniel says when he’s forced to bend down to Jihoon’s eye level.

Jihoon knows that after today, there’s no going back. But he knows he’s never wanted anything more in the world than to do this, so he closes his eyes and goes in for it.

“Fuck it,” Jihoon says before placing his soft lips on Daniel’s under the rain. Daniel doesn’t respond for a moment, and Jihoon is afraid that he’s made the wrong move. But before his doubts can deepen, Daniel is kissing him back. The knots in Jihoon’s stomach start to untie themselves when they continue to press their lips together. Jihoon can’t tell if it’s the rain flowing down his face or he’s crying out of pure joy. 

Daniel breaks their kiss to take a deep breath and all he says is, “Finally.”

Jihoon’s mind goes back to their ‘movie date’.

He’s braver now, and smiles, “You were right. You are a pretty good kisser.”

Daniel cracks a wide smile back, “I told you so.” Then he adds, “And you’re not too bad yourself.”

“Shut the fuck up and kiss me again,” Jihoon rolls his eyes. Daniel immediately cups his face in his large hands that Jihoon loves. 

“With pleasure.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon is shivering when they get back home, and all his past confidence turns to regret when he sneezes. He’s definitely caught a cold this time.

“Take a shower, quick,” Daniel ushers Jihoon into the bathroom and throws in clothes Jihoon guesses he randomly picked from their shared closet. Honestly, Jihoon doesn’t even know why he bothers to organise that closet anymore, they wear each other’s clothes so often that their shirts are mixed up.

Jihoon peeks his head out, “What about you?”

“Are you suggesting we take a shower together? I know you kissed me but you’re honestly moving too fast for me,” Daniel jokes as he takes out another towel to dry his hair.

Jihoon’s cheeks tinge with red, “That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m kidding, boyfriend,” Daniel calls out. “Take a warm shower.”

Jihoon shuts the door behind him. Boyfriend? His heart is still racing from their kiss, and he has to pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming. 

His arm hurts when he pinches himself. This isn’t some crazy dream.

Jihoon lets the warm water envelope his body and consciously touches his lips. He’s finally done it.

And it felt nothing less than amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel had already started cooking when Jihoon came out of the shower, feeling ten times better. Daniel’s hair had somewhat dried up, but his clothes were still wet. Jihoon felt the sudden urge to wrap his arms around Daniel’s back – so he did.

“Interesting,” Daniel says. “Never would have thought of you as a clingy boyfriend.”

Jihoon doesn’t even bother to argue, he just wants to hug Daniel like this forever.

“Take a shower, I’ll take over,” Jihoon offers. Daniel shoots him a worried look.

“Okay. But don’t do fire stuff, you can just cut up the ingredients, nothing more. Or if you don’t feel good you can just wait for me to come out and I’ll do it,” Daniel blabbers as he fumbles through their cupboard for a clean shirt.

“Relax,” Jihoon assures, watching Daniel amusingly. “I can do this.”

Daniel presses a kiss to Jihoon’s forehead like it’s the most natural thing in the world and disappears into the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They eat their dinner in silence, like they always do. None of them like to talk to the other when they’re eating; just because they were that comfortable with each other. 

Dinner is amazing, Jihoon notes the recipe. He feels warmer when he slurps down the entire bowl of soup.

“So,” Daniel clears his throat and looks at Jihoon. 

“So?” Jihoon prompts, although he knows exactly what Daniel is on about.

“So are you really my boyfriend now?” Daniel completes his sentence, and it sounds like wonderful music to Jihoon’s ears.

Jihoon holds his spoon in his hand tightly, “I guess.”

It feels good to finally get rid of the burden in his chest.

Jihoon looks up, more confident, “You’re stuck with me now.”

“Gladly.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel can hardly believe that this is real life. He’s slept over a couple of times; but this time feels different and more special to him. He’s finally able to lean over a kiss Park Jihoon as many times as he wants to. And he doesn’t have to resist saying “I love you” anymore.

His head is buried into the crook of Jihoon’s neck. Jihoon smells so good, and it makes him smile.

“I love you,” he mummers. 

“You’ve said it like 5 times in the last minute,” Jihoon points out.

“I’ve been waiting too long to say it,” Daniel sighs.

Jihoon turns around to face Daniel, and starts to play with hair. 

“I love you too,” Jihoon whispers back. “Even though I don’t say it back all the time. I’m just not as-“

“I know,” Daniel shushes Jihoon. “And it’s okay.”

Because he knows he has no right to demand any more love from Jihoon. He’s the luckiest man in the world for Jihoon to love him back.

“Can I…” Jihoon trails off, and Daniel waits for him to complete what he wants to say. “Can I tell Samuel about us?”

“Of course,” Daniel says immediately. 

“Great, he’ll be so happy,” Jihoon replies, smiling. Then his smile drops, “Should we tell your parents too?”

Daniel almost forgets how at the same time, he’s also the unluckiest man in the world. His mind races for an appropriate answer other than, “I’ve been lying to you. My dad is actually the man you hate the most.”

Still, he manages to maintain his cool. “Things aren’t really good at home right now. Can we wait a little longer?”

Jihoon nods, as if he understands Daniel’s situation perfectly.

Daniel knows this small lie is going to snowball, and one day the snowball is going to eat him up alive. He’s never one to think ahead, and it’s coming back to bite him in the ass. Right now, though, everything is fine – it couldn’t be more perfect.

“When did you fall for me?” Jihoon’s voice quips, and Daniel is glad to steer the conversation away from the topic of his ‘parents’, even though it’s an embarrassing question.

“Hmm,” Daniel ponders. “Maybe when you punched me in the face? I was attracted to your feisty personality.”

Jihoon rolls his eyes, “I should have punched you harder then.”

“You can punch me now,” and Jihoon’s eyes widen at Daniel’s sudden offer. Daniel smirks, “With your lips.”

Jihoon scoffs, and turns away pretending that he’s turned off by Daniel’s inappropriate joke.

“I’m serious,” Daniel continues to tease Jihoon, “I mean, pulling my tie? I never knew you were that kinky.”

“Stop!” Jihoon yells as he puts his hand over Daniel’s mouth to prevent him from saying anything more. Although it’s dark, Daniel knows that Jihoon is blushing furiously right now.

“Please shut the fuck up and go to sleep,” Jihoon sighs, taking his hands off.

“I love it when you get all cute and angsty when I tease you,” Daniel muses.

“Cute and angsty are adjectives that don’t go together,” Jihoon retorts.

“They do with you,” Daniel argues.

“Do not,” Jihoon replies.

Daniel kisses Jihoon’s cheek, “They do.” And he kisses Jihoon’s nose, “You’re my angsty,” and he kisses Jihoon’s forehead, “and cute” and lastly kisses Jihoon’s lips, “boyfriend.”

“Yuck,” Jihoon responds, “I didn’t know I was dating a dog.”

Daniel slides an arm around Jihoon’s waist and pulls him in closer, “Deal with it.”

They both have sweet dreams that night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon tells Samuel the next morning. Samuel is shell-shocked when Jihoon concludes with, “So yeah, I guess we’re together now.”

Samuel doesn’t move for a few minutes, and Jihoon has to shake him out of his shock.

“Really?” Samuel gasps. “Holy fuck. Shit.”

Jihoon crosses his arms, “That’s all you can come up with? A string of profanities?”

Samuel suddenly stands up, marching out of the class, muttering something under his breath that sounded like, “I’ll have to see him for myself.”

Jihoon finds himself chasing behind Samuel, until he ends up outside Daniel’s class. 

“Sam,” Jihoon begs as he tries pulling Samuel away from the door. “Can you please not?”

“Not what?” Samuel retorts, “I just want to talk to him.”

“Talk to who?” a voice interrupts the two-friend’s bickering and Jihoon finally lets Samuel go when he sees Daniel standing at the door. A few of his classmates start craning their necks to see what the commotion is all about, and Jihoon drags the two out of sight.

“I told Samuel,” Jihoon tells Daniel when they finally find a quiet space to talk.

Samuel is glaring at Daniel, and Jihoon nudges his friend. “Dude, you were the one who told me to go for it.”

“I know,” Samuel groans, “I didn’t know this,” he gestures to Daniel and Jihoon standing together, “would happen so soon.”

“It happened yesterday,” Daniel explains. “So… yeah.”

“Yeah? Don’t yeah me,” Samuel shoots back, “Are you going to be responsible for Jihoon now? You think you can put up with his extreme mood swings? Even when he steals your food? Even if he makes unreasonable requests like-“

Jihoon runs over to stop Samuel from revealing his embarrassing secrets to his boyfriend. Samuel struggles under Jihoon’s grip, but he’s glad Samuel is all bark and no bite. Jihoon nods apologetically at Daniel, who looks confused at the entire situation.

“Let me go, asshole,” Samuel pulls Jihoon away and walks up closer to Daniel.

“His parents may not be here now, so you’ll be answering to me,” and although Samuel is a head shorter than Daniel, Daniel looks small under his friend’s interrogating.

Daniel gulps and nods nervously, casting looks at Jihoon that scream, “help me.”

“Okay mom, that’s enough,” Jihoon says as he pulls the two apart. 

Samuel looks at the ground, “I’m just worried for you. You’ve literally never dated anyone in your life.”

Jihoon blushes at his friend’s embarrassing reminder, although Daniel already knows this. Suddenly, Daniel swings his arm around Jihoon’s shoulder.

“I’ll take care of him,” Daniel assures his friend. “Promise.”

Samuel ponders over Daniel’s words, and after sighing in defeat, he finally nods his head as a sign of approval.

“Just don’t let me catch him crying because of you,” is all Samuel says before he turns and leaves, leaving Jihoon and Daniel alone.

Jihoon’s hands find Daniel’s and he rest’s his head against Daniel’s arm. It’s early in the morning, but Jihoon is already tired out.

“Sorry about that, Sam is just trying to be a good friend,” Jihoon says.

“I’m okay. And he’s an amazing friend,” Daniel assures, and gives Jihoon a light peck on his cheek.

They only have a few minutes until the bell for the first class of the day rings, and Jihoon wants to make the most of the time they have alone together.

“Should I introduce Samuel to some of my friends? Maybe he’s jealous of us,” Daniel offers. 

Jihoon laughs as he imagines how Samuel would look like if he heard that, “No luck. Samuel likes girls.”

“What a shame, boys are really cute,” Daniel smiles at Jihoon when he says this, and it makes his heart do backflips in his chest.

Jihoon has to tip-toe to meet Daniel’s lips, but he does it anyway. Daniel steadies him with his hands around Jihoon’s waist and deepens their kiss, completely aware that anyone could walk in and see two of them making out.

“Especially this one,” Jihoon says when he breaks away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH the two are finally together hehe 
> 
> can't deny that this is the calm before the storm but i hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!
> 
> school is really making it hard to update as frequently as possible but i always look forward to reading all your comments when i finish updating a new chapter, so please leave lots of those~!
> 
> take care and i'll see all of you again at the next chapter (i promise not to hurt our nielwink too badly when the time comes)
> 
> again, thank you so much for reading <3


	10. as real as it can be

Daniel is grinning when Jihoon opens his door for him that afternoon. Jihoon knows Daniel has a perpetual smile plastered on his face almost 24/7 but there’s something special about this smile that makes Jihoon feel uneasy.

“What?” Jihoon narrows his eyes at Daniel when he locks the door behind him.

“What?” Daniel choruses, “How about a ‘How have you been my beautiful and perfect boyfriend Kang Daniel, I love you’?”

“Save it,” Jihoon waves his hand dismissively at Daniel. Although they’ve been dating for almost two weeks, Jihoon still hasn’t gotten used to showering Daniel with the same amount of affection he receives in return. He’s still treating Daniel like an enemy slash friend, but somehow, manages to sneak in back hugs and kisses at the same time.

It works for them.

Daniel sighs, and pulls out his textbooks from his bag. “I did well on that math test from a few weeks ago. And you said if I passed you would give me something, so, I’m here to claim my reward.”

Jihoon vaguely remembers promising Daniel something like that in the past. 

“Well, what do you want as a reward?” Jihoon asks, bringing back the same smile to Daniel’s face.

“A date.”

“A date? You’re so predictable,” Jihoon rolls his eyes, “And we have work to do.”

Daniel kicks his legs in the air, “A few hours won’t do any harm. I’m tired of looking at equations all day long. Can’t we do something interesting for once?”

Jihoon seriously contemplates Daniel’s suggestion, and nods his head when he realises a few hours with his rightful other half wouldn’t hurt. 

“Let’s go on a date, boyfriend,” Jihoon makes sure to emphasize the last word. This time, he’s bringing a smile to his own face. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel has one place he’s always wanted to take Jihoon. After stopping by at a nearby snack shop for lunch, Daniel led Jihoon to the old arcade a few streets away. He used to frequent this place with his friends when they were younger, and was placed to find out the place didn’t change much.

He exchanges some money for tickets and tries to look around for Jihoon, who has long wondered inside the arcade. Daniel finds the boy checking out the punch machine.

“Want to see me do it?” Daniel asks, cheekily laying one arm on the machine.

“Please, I could do better than you with my eyes closed,” Jihoon retorts.

That sets Daniel’s competitive spirit off. 

“Let’s make a bet. If I win…” Daniel tries to think of a good enough motivation to win (although he thinks he can beat tiny Jihoon anyway) and grins when he thinks of the perfect idea, “You have to be a clingy boyfriend for a day.”

“Fine,” Jihoon accepts the challenge. “I won’t be losing anyway. If I win, you have to buy me a good dinner today.”

“Are you just dating me for my money?” Daniel fakes an offended stare.

“That, and your amazing cooking skills. Are you ready to lose?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel doesn’t show it, but there’s a small part of him that doubts his ability to beat Jihoon at his game. After all, he’s tasted Jihoon’s fist first-hand in the past, and the one thing he’s learnt is to not doubt Jihoon’s fist.

Still, he prepares himself and inserts a ticket into the machine. It lights up, plays the typical arcade song and Daniel gets ready. Jihoon stands at the side, looking unamused. On a normal day, Daniel would have been too soft to beat Jihoon, but since a clingy Jihoon is on the line, he decides to go in at full force.

The slam of his fist against the machine resounds around the empty arcade, and Daniel swells with pride as the numbers increase; they don’t stop until a while later.

His score shows 983. Daniel smiles proudly at Jihoon, knowing he’s already won half the battle.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Jihoon scoffs as they switch places and he prepares for his turn.

“Come on pretty,” Daniel teases, “Show me what you got.”

Jihoon glares at Daniel, but focuses on the machine in front of him again.

“Be careful,” Daniel unconsciously calls out before Jihoon begins.

“Worried you’ll lose? I’m fine, I’ve done this before,” Jihoon scoffs. 

Jihoon’s eyes turn serious when the machine resets to 0. Daniel waits for Jihoon to strike with bated breath. He just hopes Jihoon won’t injure himself for the sake of their bet. 

Jihoon’s fists prove once again to be as powerful as Daniel remembers, and judging by the loud echo, he’s almost on par with Daniel’s strength.

786.

Daniel almost jumps out of pure joy when Jihoon suddenly grimaces and falls to the ground, grabbing his wrist with a pained expression. Daniel immediately drops to the ground beside Jihoon, and starts to panic.

“Are you okay? Did you break it? I told you to be careful when punching – you didn’t hold your wrist well that’s why-“ Daniel doesn’t know why he’s lecturing Jihoon when he’s hurting on the ground and starts to look around for help. Unfortunately, the arcade is empty.

“Daniel,” Jihoon cries, and it hurts Daniel to look at Jihoon in pain.

“I’ll go out and look for help, just stay here, okay?” Daniel finally gets his priorities straight and tries to get up before he’s pulled back by Jihoon again.

This time, the pained expression from before is replaced with a cheeky grin. Jihoon is no longer holding onto his wrist. Instead, he looks just fine.

“Just kidding!” Jihoon announces as he pulls a shell-shocked Daniel into his embrace. “Aw, you looked so cute.”

Daniel allows himself to be hugged by Jihoon as his brain continues to assess the situation. His heart is still beating wildly from the thought that Jihoon might have broken his fist because of the bet they had made – and it was all his fault.

“I’m okay,” Jihoon assures, “Sorry, I just wanted to see how you would react.”

Finally, Daniel understands everything. He pushes Jihoon away, who is still smiling. God damn, he can’t even be mad because just looking at Jihoon’s beautiful face makes him feel all sorts of happiness in the world.

“I hate you,” Daniel sighs, “And you lost.”

Although it feels like Daniel is the one that lost anyway.

“I know,” Jihoon says, “Which is why I’m going to be extra clingy the entire day. I’ll stick to you like glue, you’ll want to break up with me at the end of today.”

True to his words, Jihoon is still holding onto Daniel’s arm. Normally, he wouldn’t be comfortable with this type of physical affection in public. The most they ever did was hold hands in a dark movie theatre last week.

Jihoon tip-toes to land a small peck on Daniel’s cheek and he feels his anger melt away instantly.

“This is the best bet I’ve made in my entire life.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, the two move on to a Mario Kart game at the next section. Daniel had his turn, and unsurprisingly came in first. (he silently thanked the angels above for all the practice he had with Jaehan and Taewoong before this, because Jihoon looked impressed.)

Daniel helps Jihoon set up the game when he takes his turn. The chair swallows Jihoon up, and his tiny hands look smaller on the large steering wheel.

“What are you laughing at?” Jihoon snaps, then remembers he has to be the opposite of what he is normally, and smiles, “I mean, what made you so happy, my sweet baby?”

Daniel grins at the disgustingly cute pet name, and can’t help but plant another kiss on Jihoon’s cheek, “All of the reasons are you.”

Jihoon suppresses a snarky remark, and concentrates when the game starts counting down to the start of the race.

“Okay, the pedal on your left is the accelerator; step on it to move forward. On your right is your break, and that’s about all,” Daniel tries explaining the controls to Jihoon; who is obviously doing this for the first time, he can tell by the nervous expression he has on his face.

Before Daniel can explain to Jihoon how to use his special items, he steps down on the accelerator, and speeds past his opponents.

“Yes! Like that!” Daniel cheers loudly, half surprised that Jihoon is doing so well for a first timer. His cheers don’t last long when he has to deal with turns, and attacks from his opponents. Pretty soon, Jihoon is in last place.

“What do I do?” Jihoon panics when his character falls off the cliff again, “Daniel, help me.”

Of course, Daniel does what Jihoon says and places his hands on Jihoon’s, helping him steer out of the problematic area. Although he’s in an awkward position, he manages to get out of the mountainous area into a fairly straight road.

“Can you do it for yourself from now on?” Daniel asks, his eyes still on the screen.

Jihoon doesn’t respond, and Daniel glances back to check on him.

His eyes meet Jihoon’s. 

“Keep your eyes on the road or you’ll lose,” Daniel tries letting go of the steering wheel when Jihoon suddenly connects their lips. Daniel’s hands are still on the steering wheel, but he’s no longer trying to navigate his way around.

Every time Jihoon kisses him, he feels like he’s being sucked into another universe. Daniel never knew kissing someone else could feel this good. He’s kissed people before (both boys and girls), but he’d never feel as defenceless as when he was doing it with Jihoon.

Daniel unconsciously lets out a whimper when Jihoon pulls away.

“Again,” he pleads, taking his hands off the steering wheel and cups Jihoon’s face in his hands.

Jihoon lets out a chuckle, and nods. “Okay.”

Daniel takes the lead this time, kissing Jihoon more deeply than their first kiss. Jihoon takes his hands off the steering wheel and wraps his hands around Daniel’s waist, sending goose-bumps down Daniel’s body.

“You’re so pretty,” Daniel mutters when he parts to take a breath. 

“And you’re such a sweet-talker,” Jihoon smiles. 

“Can I go again?” Daniel asks, embarrassed that all he wants is to kiss Jihoon more and more. 

“Again?” Jihoon repeats, “I guess… since you won that bet-“

Daniel doesn’t wait for Jihoon to finish before kissing Jihoon’s soft, plump, lips again. He almost loses his mind when Jihoon lets out a sigh against his mouth. Daniel deepens their kiss, one of his hands shifting to Jihoon’s neck. All he can think of now is that he’s kissing the most beautiful boy in the world and-

“Daniel?”

He knows that voice better than anyone else, and his heart drops instantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There really is no other way to explain why he’s making out with another boy in the arcade to his friends. Jisung and Jinwoo look shocked, while Jaehan and Taewoong look like a pathetic cross between disgusted and traumatized.

“You… you lost,” Taewoong offers unhelpfully as he points to the game screen that Daniel has long forgotten about. He’s not surprised to see that the race has ended and they have run out of time to finish the three laps.

“I uh… yeah,” Daniel coughs awkwardly, “I was distracted.”

“Distracted,” Jinwoo repeats, nodding solemnly. 

“Who’s that?” Jisung asks, taking a step forward to look at who Daniel was hiding behind the chair.

Daniel steps over to stop Jisung from advancing forward, and knows how stupid he must look to his friends now. He glances down at Jihoon, who looks visibly frightened for his life. Jisung doesn’t let Daniel stop him and swirls the chair around to reveal Jihoon to his friends.

“Detention guy?” Jaehan sputters.

“Pretty boy with the sharp tongue?” Taewoong gaps.

“Child genius?” even Jinwoo shows an exaggerated reaction.

“Park Jihoon?” Jisung yelps. Daniel is thankful that at least one out the four got Jihoon’s name right.

“I uh…” Daniel looks around for a hole to hide in. “I’m dating Jihoon.”

“You’re what?” Jisung yells, and Daniel, once again is thankful the arcade is empty. He was sure the situation right now would look like a typical scene out of a soap opera. 

Daniel takes Jihoon’s hand in his and pulls him closer, “I said we’re dating. He’s my boyfriend.”

“I-My name is Park Jihoon,” Jihoon finally manages to get a word into the conversation, and Jisung’s gaze immediately shifts to Jihoon and he moves in closer to Daniel.

Daniel gulps, waiting for his friend’s reactions. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I just couldn’t find the right time and place to tell you guys.”

“That’s why you’re never home,” Jinwoo mutters, and Daniel resists the temptation to ask Jinwoo why they’re at his house when he, the son of the rightful owners, isn’t even at home, so he shuts his mouth.

“I need a break,” Jisung announces. “How did this even happen? Do your parents even know?”

Before Daniel can ask Jisung to stop talking, Jihoon speaks up, “I wanted to meet his parents, but I understand they’re having relationship problems now so we’re waiting for things to quieten down before we tell them.”

Daniel knows he’s fucked when all four of his friends shoot him the same look, and he hopes they’re smart enough not to press for more information.

“Can we talk?” Daniel asks his friends, knowing fully well he needs to come clean about everything to them, and adds, “Outside.”

“You can’t say it here?” Jihoon questions.

The whole world is against Daniel, and he knows he’s had this coming sooner or later.

“Sorry, baby,” Daniel replies, “I’ll be back quickly, okay?”

Thankfully, Jihoon seems to understand and nods. Daniel sneaks in another kiss before he follows his friends outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Daniel,” Jisung says when they’re outside and out of ear-shot. “What the actual fuck are you playing at right now? Why did he say that? Your parents aren’t having relationship issues. Or are they?”

Daniel grimaces when he hears Jisung curse, which comes as rare as Jinwoo paying attention to their conversation; which is exactly what he’s doing right now.

“They’re not,” Daniel admits. “My parents are fine and they always have been.”

“Then why did you lie?”

Jisung’s question is so simple, yet Daniel has no answer for it. He has a million excuses thought up for a day like this.

1\. I was trying to protect Jihoon.  
2\. I didn’t want Jihoon to hate me.  
3\. I love Jihoon  
4\. Number 3  
5\. Number 1 to 4

He knows these aren’t enough to justify all his actions and lies. They would never be enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon is playing alone at the basketball machine when Daniel gets back. He tells his friends it’s a long story, and promises to tell them tonight, because Jihoon would think something was up if he was gone for too long.

Jihoon doesn’t notice his presence, and he gently wraps his arms around Jihoon’s waist.

Suddenly, he’s so, so, scared to lose Jihoon.

“Is everything okay?” Jihoon glances at Daniel.

In Daniel’s world, nothing is okay. His lies are starting to get uncovered by everyone. His friends probably think of him as a coward who can’t tell the truth.

Daniel doesn’t mind if the whole world knows the truth and think he’s nothing but a pathetic liar; as long as Jihoon is the only one who doesn’t know. 

“Of course. Everything is perfect.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel thinks his day can’t go any better when he’s walking down the streets with Jihoon – hand in hand. A few stares are thrown their way, but Daniel can’t care less. They settle in a café for bingsoo when their legs get sore from walking.

“You won the bet, though,” Jihoon says when Daniel brings their dessert over.

“Forget the bet,” Daniel replies, knowing all he wants is to make Jihoon happy. And he looks exactly that when he digs into the bingsoo.

“This is so good,” Jihoon gushes, immediately shoving a second spoon of shaved ice into his mouth.

“Brain freeze,” Jihoon winces, making Daniel laugh.

“I’m in pain and you’re laughing?” Jihoon looks offended. “You’re sadistic.”

Daniel would lean over and kiss Jihoon now if there weren’t so many people watching them; he didn’t want to make it awkward. And their dessert was melting. 

“You know,” Jihoon says, “Even if we can’t meet your parents, we can meet mine.”

That catches Daniel’s attention, “Do you want to pay them a visit?”

Jihoon nods, then frowns “But I scattered both their ashes in the sea. There’s nowhere we can officially go to.”

Daniel reaches over the table to take Jihoon’s hands in his, “Then we’ll go to the sea. I’m sure they’ll be so happy to see you.”

Jihoon finally cracks a smile, and quickly finishes his bingsoo before they take the bus out of the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The refreshing smell of the sea hits Daniel as soon as they step out of the bus. Jihoon seems to enjoy the sea breeze as well, Daniel notes. They walk towards the end of the open end of the water body, and the waves are calm.

Jihoon’s hands find Daniel’s, and he stares into the distance.

He starts talking.

“Hi Mom, and Dad,” Jihoon looks embarrassed to say these things out loud at first, but he becomes more confident when Daniel smiles at him, “I came to say hi, and this is Daniel. He wanted to meet you guys too.”

“He-We’re dating, and he’s really nice and sweet, I’m sure Mom would like him a lot. He cooks well too, you too would be the best of friends,” Daniel chuckles when Jihoon says this. The thought of getting along well with Jihoon’s mother is pleasing.

“What about your dad?” Daniel prompts. “Would he like me?”

“My dad…” Jihoon smiles, “My dad would absolutely love you. My dad loves anything my mom loves. He would probably love you more than he loves me.”

“Nonsense,” Daniel interjects. “They love you so much, you don’t even know.”

“Thank you,” Jihoon whispers. “I’m going to take a walk, okay?”

Daniel takes the hint that Jihoon wants to be alone, and lets Jihoon go on his way. After all, he has a few things he wants to say to Jihoon’s parents as well.

It’s almost scary, how as soon as Jihoon leaves, the waves start to become more powerful. They crash against the coast, and Daniel believes that Jihoon’s parents are indeed, somewhere, watching him.

_“It’s me, Kang Daniel. I’m sure you know who I am. I’m the son of the man who caused your death, that’s me. I don’t know where I should start. Your son came into my life so fast, I didn’t see him coming at all. Suddenly, I’m in love with him and I don’t think I could ever live without him.”_

The waves respond, the tide getting higher as Daniel continues to speak the words in his mind.

_“And I don’t think I can ever forgive myself or my father for what he did to you. But I can assure you, my feelings for Jihoon are genuine.”_

_“Then why did you lie?”_

Daniel knows it’s Jisung’s voice in his brain, but he can’t help but think Jihoon’s parents are the ones speaking to him.

_“He’s everything to me. I know Jihoon is your precious son. As long as I’m in this world, I’ll never let him get hurt again. Please forgive me for everything.”_

As if on cue, the strong waves die down and they return to the calm, harmless persona they once had. Daniel lets out a sigh of relief, at least he’s done one good thing today. He finds a bench and decides to sit and wait for Jihoon to come back. 

Jihoon returns just before sunset. 

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Jihoon says when he takes a seat beside Daniel. “I never got closure from my parent’s death, and this, this is everything I needed.”

Daniel smiles, and slings an arm around Jihoon’s shoulder just to remind Jihoon that he’s not alone in this. 

Jihoon kisses Daniel’s cheek, and wears one of his signature cheeky grins, “Are we going to continue where we left off?”

“In front of your parents?” Daniel hesitates.

“They’ve left,” Jihoon kisses Daniel’s cheek again, and the butterflies appear in his stomach again.

“I guess that means we’re in the clear,” Daniel returns Jihoon’s kisses by smooching him all over his face. 

“You’re so perfect,” Jihoon confesses, “Are you even real?”

Daniel smiles, but it’s a bitter one. Everything about his moment is perfect, the sun is setting; creating a picture-perfect warm, orange sky. The waves are calm, and the sea breeze smells amazing. And in front of him – is the most perfect boy in the entire universe and in all the other universes possible.

Unfortunately, Daniel knows he’s not perfect. Nothing Jihoon knows about him is real.

“As real as it can be,” is the last thing Daniel says before he kisses Jihoon on the lips. Hopefully, he kisses his lies away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Are you staying over tonight?” Jihoon asks Daniel. They’re walking back home together after returning from visiting his parents. The sky is dark and Jihoon’s stomach is grumbling. One of Daniel’s amazing stews would be amazing right now.

“I’m sorry, I have to be home today,” Daniel says. Jihoon can’t hide his disappointment, and snuggles in closer to Daniel even though it’s harder to walk.

“Can I walk you home?” Jihoon doesn’t want to intrude into Daniel’s family business, but he doesn’t want to part so soon either.

“Okay, just to the gate because it’s getting late,” Daniel replies, and Jihoon settles for just that.

Daniel has a big house. Jihoon doesn’t know if the roof counts as an extra level; but if it does it makes Daniel’s house four storeys tall. Suddenly, he feels guilty about making Daniel squeeze into his small rooftop house for the past few months.

Jihoon sighs when they reach Daniel’s front gate. His garden is beautiful, and Jihoon wonders if Daniel’s parents have green fingers. 

“If you’re thinking about comparing our living circumstances, stop now,” Daniel says. “I told you our houses don’t define us. Nothing does. You’re Jihoon and I’m Daniel. The end, okay?”

Jihoon hates how easily Daniel reads him, but he feels comforted. Daniel is right.

Jihoon is Park Jihoon. And Daniel is Kang Daniel. Nothing else in the world matters to him.

“Don’t worry,” Jihoon smiles. “You should get going.”

“I love you,” Daniel kisses Jihoon’s forehead once more before he punches in his password and the gate opens with a click, “See you in school tomorrow.”

Daniel waves to Jihoon all the way until he opens the front door and disappears into the large house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Is it true that Park Jihoon is dating Kang Daniel?” Samuel hears someone say, and lifts his head from the table. It’s Seonho, their class president. He might have been the one who asked, but all the other people in his class are staring at him, waiting for his answer.

Samuel knows Jihoon’s and Daniel’s relationship is a secret from everyone, so he frowns and says, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Seonho shrugs, “I heard some rumours. But don’t mind me.”

Samuel shakes his head in disapproval, and tries to get some sleep before classes start again. Jihoon had run off somewhere with Daniel after having lunch with him, and he was trying to be as un-salty about his best friend (and only friend) ditching him as possible.

As much as Samuel wants to hate Daniel, there’s some part of him that wants him and Jihoon to last. Ever since the accident, Samuel doesn’t think he’s seen the old Jihoon. 

The seven-year-old Jihoon that used to steal his cars from him and pretend they were his when Samuel asked him if he knew where his cars were.

The same ten-year-old Jihoon that made Samuel play as the dog when they were playing house. 

Even if Samuel tells him his favourite joke, Jihoon never looks as happy as when he’s with Daniel. It’s bittersweet to see his friend finally growing out of the dark world he had built around him ever since the accident.

“If Park Jihoon was a real genius he would never be friends with Kang Daniel,” Samuel hears someone say, and jolts awake. The culprit is his classmates sitting in front of him.

Samuel isn’t used to meddling in things that don’t concern him, but he wants to stand up for Daniel and Jihoon, “Hey. What does that even mean? What’s wrong with Jihoon?”

His classmates turn around and shoot him a look, “Nothing. The problem lies with Kang Daniel.”

“And what’s so wrong about Kang Daniel?” Samuel questions.

His classmates scoff, “You really don’t know?”

“Know what?” Samuel starts to get impatient.

“Kang Yoonseok? Kang Daniel? Ring a bell?” one classmate says. The other one nods, “I mean, don’t you ever wonder why Kang Daniel never gets expelled even though he spends most of his time in detention? It must be good to have a principal as a father.”

Samuel doesn’t move for a few seconds. He’s convinced he’s either hallucinating, or this is a bad nightmare that he can’t wake up from. 

Kang Yoonseok, Kang Daniel.

He connects the dots faster that what he’d like to. And his heart drops. 

_Kang Daniel is Kang Yoonseok’s son._

It hits Samuel like a bullet to his chest, and his knees go weak.

“Jihoon,” is all Samuel can think about once he registers the shocking information. He stands up, but wobbles and uses the table as support. He needs to get to Jihoon quickly, before he gets hurt.

Samuel rushes out of the class, and doesn’t hesitate to march to Daniel’s classroom. 

Daniel is in class with his friends, but there’s no sight of Jihoon. Daniel catches Samuel’s eye, and walks out of his class to greet him. 

Samuel thinks he’s going to faint any moment. He should have known. Although Daniel is smiling and waving to him, all he can register is “Kang Yoonseok’s son”.

“Hey Sam!” Daniel says when he walks out. “Are you here alone? Where’s Jihoon?”

“Where’s… Jihoon?” Samuel can’t believe his ears. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that instead?”

Daniel’s eyes grow wide at Samuel’s cold attitude, and his smile immediately drops. “Is something wrong? Did something happen?”

Samuel doesn’t know if Daniel is playing dumb with him, or if Daniel is seriously this dumb. Confusion turns to anger and Samuel is fuming at the thought of Daniel playing with both him and Jihoon the entire time.

“Do you want to talk somewhere else? Or should I expose your lies in front of the entire school?” Samuel says as he eyes the small crowd forming near the hallway. In a lower voice that only Daniel can hear, he adds, “Or are you going to call your dad and have me dragged out of school?”

Fear.

That is the first thing that flashes across Daniel’s eyes when Samuel utters the very words that are threatening to boil out of his system. He storms out of the hallway, and knows Daniel is following close behind.

They find an empty classroom, and Daniel locks the door behind him. He even locks the windows, which irritates Samuel to no end.

“If you were so scared of people finding out why did you lie to us – to Jihoon in the first place?” Samuel jabs a finger to Daniel’s chest.

Although Daniel is significantly taller and stronger than him, Samuel isn’t afraid.

“Samuel…” his eyes containing the same fear from before, “I… fuck. I have no excuses.”

“Then I can walk out now and tell Jihoon that he’s dating the son of the man he hates?” Samuel challenges.

“Please, Samuel!” Daniel grabs his arm and pleads. “I’m terrified. I love Jihoon so fucking much I’m so scared of living without him that I never told him the truth. Please, I don’t want to lose Jihoon.”

Samuel can’t help but soften at the sight of Daniel’s eyes now pooling with tears. Daniel might look like a typical badass in school all the time, but he was reduced to nothing at the thought of Jihoon leaving him. Samuel doesn’t think he’s ever seen anyone look this desperate.

However, he can’t betray Jihoon.

“You want me to keep this disgusting secret from him? Daniel, he trusted you. He trusts you so much, you don’t even know. I spent 17 years trying to get that same smile out of him you got in three months,” Samuel feels himself choking up as well.

Daniel nods fervently, “I know. I never meant to lie to him. When I found out who he really was, it was too late. Samuel, it’s too late for us to turn back.”

As much as Samuel wants to disagree, he understands. Daniel and Jihoon have reached the point of no return. Although it was not mentioned, there was an unspoken agreement between Daniel and Samuel about the two ways this could end.

One, Jihoon would find out and he would be broken beyond repair.

Two, Jihoon would never find out and they would be okay.

“Whatever hurts less, I’m willing to do it,” Daniel explains, “I don’t mind if everyone hates me. I just never want Jihoon to hate me.”

“Jihoon would never hate you,” Samuel wants to say, but he knows his friend isn’t a saint. If the truth has affected even Samuel this much, he doesn’t even want to imagine how Jihoon would react.

“I’ll-I’m still trying my best to figure things out,” Daniel sniffs, “It was both a blessing and curse for us to meet. I’m willing to turn back time and not meet Jihoon just to avoid hurting him this much.”

Samuel realises, Daniel’s feelings for Jihoon are as genuine as love can get.

“I will keep your secret,” Samuel promises, “But on one condition.”

Daniel looks up, and nods, “Anything.”

“Never, ever let him get hurt,” Samuel says.

“I would go through hell and back to make sure Jihoon never gets hurt.”

Samuel doesn’t do more than nod and acknowledge Daniel’s promise. He leaves the room before Daniel can say anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon looks as happy as ever when Samuel returns to class. He’s writing some sort of letter, and keeps it away when Samuel takes his seat beside him.

“Hey best friend,” Jihoon smiles, and Samuel knows exactly why Daniel can’t bring himself to tell Jihoon the truth. It’s disgusting to admit, but his friend has a smile like the sun. It would never be humanely possible to hurt Jihoon by breaking that sort of news to him.

“Don’t call me your best friend if you ditch me for your boyfriend,” Samuel snaps, hoping he sounds as normal as he can be.

Jihoon frowns, then pinches Samuel’s cheeks, “Aw, is our little Sammy jealous? Don’t worry, I’ll spend more time with you soon.”

“What about the pranks? Do you have anything else planned out?”

Jihoon looks surprised when Samuel asks him that question.

“I think… I’m tired of the pranks,” Jihoon says. “God, I haven’t thought of Kang Yoonseok all week. That’s so crazy.”

Samuel hums and pretends to agree. Jihoon is the densest person he knows. He’s been so love-struck that he’s forgotten all about his revenge plot. Suddenly, it seems possible for Jihoon and Daniel to have a happy ending.

“Good,” Samuel says, “I won’t have to sneak out for you anymore.”

“Don’t say that,” Jihoon whines, “You love me.”

Yes, I do, Samuel thinks as he closes his eyes. 

And so does Daniel, he loves you so much. I really hope you believe in him, Jihoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry to keep you guys waiting so long ugh i know how much it sucks to wait for updates but the weekend is on the way so hopefully i can squeeze in two new chapters!
> 
> i hope u enjoyed this new chapter aaaaaa 
> 
> as usual feel free to scream, let the feels out, or curse at me for being so evil all the time
> 
> all your comments make me smile even when school makes me want to cry ugh! till next chapter please take care <3333


	11. lost time

Jihoon makes up a lousy excuse to Daniel to cancel on one of their afternoon sessions to go out with Samuel. Daniel looks disappointed, but Jihoon promises him that they’ll spend time together tomorrow on his actual birthday.

The truth is, Jihoon wants to go shopping for Daniel’s birthday present but he needs Samuel to come along just to make sure he’s not getting scammed. He’s been saving up for almost a whole month now; he doesn’t have much, just enough to get Daniel a small present.

Still, the hundred dollars in his hand means the world to him.

“We’ve been walking around in circles for about two hours now,” Samuel complains when they pass the same gift shop for the third time that day. 

“I’m sorry,” Jihoon frowns, also frustrated that this gift thing is taking up more time than he thought it would. “I just don’t know what he would like.”

“You could get him flowers off the street and he’d think it was the best thing ever,” Samuel says sarcastically, to which Jihoon scowls at. He likes the ideas of flowers, and makes a note to buy some flowers if he has leftover money.

Jihoon drags Samuel by the arm around some more until they stop in front of a pet store and get distracted by the puppies on display.

“Hello,” Jihoon coos at the small golden retriever on one of the lower displays. Samuel follows and plays with the puppy as well. To the golden retriever’s right, he notices a white ball of fur. A small nose peeks out, and reveals a Samoyed puppy.

It’s horribly cute, and it reminds Jihoon of Daniel.

“It’s so cute,” Jihoon gushes, and stands up again. “I wish I could raise a puppy.”

“You can’t even take care of yourself,” Samuel sighs.

Jihoon wants to argue when he spots something on the corner shelf of the pet store. It’s a Samoyed soft toy, and he’s immediately drawn to them. 

“Doesn’t it look exactly like Daniel?” Jihoon muses, taking one off the shelf and checking the price tag, happy to know that he would have some leftover money to buy some other presents after this.

“I don’t see it,” Samuel replies, “But you know him best. Can we just get some ice-cream now?”

Jihoon makes up his mind because he’s tired of walking around aimlessly too. He takes one off the shelf and brings it to the cashier, who scans the item for him.

“Interested in adopting a dog?” the cashier asks, pointing to the Samoyed Jihoon and Samuel were looking at before, “He doesn’t even have a name yet, and he’s only three-months old.”

Jihoon’s hear melts, but he knows Samuel is right. He can barely take care of himself, much less a pet. He shakes his head, but an idea strikes him.

“If it’s not too much of a chore, can I name him?” Jihoon beams.

The cashier nods, and points to a box at the corner of the store, “We’re actually holding a name contest for that Samoyed. We’ll donate a thousand dollars to the society that rescues abandons dogs in the name of the winner of this contest. You should participate.”

Jihoon thanks the cashier and collects his present, and heads to the naming station and casts his vote. He even writes a short message for Daniel; in case he wins and the pet store rings him up.

“Ice-cream, maybe?” Samuel taps his foot impatiently.

“Alright, you’re no help anyway. God help you if you ever get a girlfriend,” Jihoon sighs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a knock on Jihoon’s door the next day while he’s changing and he shouts out, “Give me a moment!” and struggles to put on his jeans. The last person he expects to see at the door is Daniel, since they had agreed to meet at noon at the intersection.

“What are you doing here so early?” Jihoon says, checking his clock. It reads 11am. 

Daniel looks especially gorgeous today. He’s no longer in his usual school uniform, or one of his oversized shirts he has strewn all over Jihoon’s house. Instead, he’s in a white button-down shirt and blue jeans, almost identical to the one Jihoon is wearing.

“I couldn’t wait another hour to see you,” Daniel replies with a radiant smile, and Jihoon stops him from coming into the house.

“W-wait, let me get ready,” Jihoon stutters, suddenly remembering the presents lying obviously in the corner of his house. He closes the door, leaving a confused Daniel outside.

Flowers he had bought from the florist on the way home yesterday, check. Balloons he had gotten from the shopping mall yesterday with Samuel, check. Junior Daniel cum Samoyed stuff toy, check. Jihoon gathered the presents in his two hands before taking a deep breath and opening the door again.

“Happy birthday!” Jihoon says, throwing his arms around Daniel.

“What’s all this?” Daniel replies when Jihoon hands him his presents.

“Flowers,” Jihoon blushes, “I didn’t know which kind you liked. The florist told me this was a popular bouquet among couples.”

Daniel takes the bouquet of flowers in his hand, and takes a sniff, then smiles. “I love them, they’re so pretty. Thank you.”

“That’s not all,” Jihoon adds, then passes the balloon and box to Daniel. “A balloon, and open the box. I got you a junior version of yourself.”

Daniel beams with happiness when he takes out the stuff toy from the box, and holds it next to his face, “Do we really look alike?”

Jihoon nods, the resemblance was uncanny. 

Daniel scoops Jihoon up in his arms and Jihoon panics, holding onto Daniel’s neck for support.

“Put me down,” Jihoon commands, afraid that Daniel is going to drop him.

“Don’t worry,” Daniel assures, “What should I do? I feel so loved.”

“It is your birthday, after all,” Jihoon replies.

Daniel holds Jihoon’s head just so he can lean in to kiss Jihoon on his lips. He pulls away just to swoop in for another one again. There’s a mischievous grin on Daniel’s face, and he asks, “How about we just stay at home and do this the entire day instead?”

Although Jihoon was strangely in love with that idea, he wanted to make this day as special as possible for Daniel. 

“Don’t be silly. Put me down and let’s go out for lunch, I’m paying today,” Jihoon says. Daniel sets him down and holds his hand.

“I feel like a prince today.”

_That’s because you are._

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh, right,” Jihoon stops in the middle of eating his food to look at Daniel, which makes his heart melt when Jihoon has cream on his lips from the pasta they were having for lunch. He leans over to wipe it off with a napkin.

“Yeah?” Daniel replies, simply happy by the sight of Jihoon sitting opposite him on his birthday. He was never big on birthdays, all he really got were birthday punches from his friends.

“I named a puppy after you. They’ll ring you up if my name wins, so make sure to pick up calls from unknown numbers these few days,” Jihoon smiles.

“You named a puppy Daniel?” Daniel sputters, not knowing if he should feel offended that his boyfriend has named a dog after him.

“What’s wrong with that?” Jihoon looks at him with those innocent eyes of his, “I like the name Daniel.”

It’s a compliment, after all. Daniel smiles shyly at Jihoon’s sly confession, and resists the temptation to make out with him in the restaurant. He wants to save many things for later, but somehow, he feels that he’s running out of time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel’s jaw drops in awe when Jihoon brings him to a tower overlooking the city. By the time they reach the top, the sun has already set and the city lights look breath-taking from above.

Not as breath-taking as the boy beside him though, Daniel notes. 

It’s the perfect opportunity to tell Jihoon everything now. They’re alone, and Jihoon is in a good mood to listen to him. He could sit Jihoon down somewhere even more private, hold his hands and tell him the truth.

I’ve been lying to you this whole time. But only because I was so afraid of losing you. Can you forgive me?

But he can’t say it. The words are already at the tip of his tongue, all he has to do now is pick up the courage and tell Jihoon the truth.

“You okay?” Jihoon places a hand on Daniel’s back when he realises Daniel isn’t answering him.

“I’m f-fine,” Daniel mumbles, “Just overwhelmed by the beautiful view.”

He sighs, just why can’t he be less of a coward for once?

He feels Jihoon’s arm wrap around his waist.

“Thank you for being there for me.”

He wants to tell Jihoon to stop thanking him. That he’s done nothing good for Jihoon. He should be the one thanking Jihoon, for trusting him even when all he told Jihoon was nothing but lies.

Still, he runs his fingers through Jihoon’s soft hair, “What are you talking about? I should be the one saying thank you. This was the best birthday ever.”

“I wanted to get you better things. But I’m just saving it for the future, okay? I can’t give you everything at once, you might get tired of me easily.”

Daniel wonders if there even is a future for them. There’s a thought eating at the back of his mind that maybe he and Jihoon should never have met.

“I could never get tired of you,” Daniel says as he squeezes Jihoon’s shoulder. 

“When I grow up I want two kids. One girl and one boy,” Jihoon confesses.

Daniel chuckles, even though his heart stings when Jihoon says that. 

Daniel used to think that he could give Jihoon the entire world. Now, he’s not sure. He might be the one to take Jihoon’s entire world away as well.

“Happy birthday again,” Jihoon says and tiptoes to give Daniel a peck on his cheek.

“Shall we go on another date tomorrow? And the day after tomorrow too?” Daniel suggests.

He wants to go on as many dates as possible before he can never go on another date with Jihoon again.

That makes Jihoon laugh, and Daniel wonders for how long more he can hear Jihoon laugh because of him. “Are you that in love with me? I knew I was charming, just not this charming.”

It’s a sin, Daniel thinks. To be this in love with someone he can’t be with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samuel knows something is up when he returns home after school one day and both his parents are waiting for him on the couch. His father is rarely back home early, unless there’s an emergency that needs to be tended to.

“Come here, Samuel. Your father and I have something to tell you,” his mother calls out when he locks the door behind him.

He proceeds with caution, unsure of what’s about to happen. He’s sure it isn’t anything terrible, because his parents don’t look particularly miserable; they just look worried.

“We both know it’s pretty late into the school year to be saying this,” his mother starts talking when Samuel takes his seat, “But it can’t be helped.”

“What’s going on? You can tell me,” Samuel assures his parents when they exchange uncomfortable glances.

His father sits up straight, and places his hands together as if he’s praying. “My company… has posted me to the U.S branch to be the general manager there. I’m afraid… we might have to move there if I were to take this position up.”

Samuel doesn’t know what he should say, because he knows exactly what this means for him. He’s going to have to go to school with new people, settle into a new town, all without Jihoon.

Should he congratulate his father for attaining such a high position, or should he throw a tantrum and demand that they stay in Korea? His palms turn sweaty at the thought of having to be away from his only friend.

“Bu-but Jihoon? What about him? We can’t leave him alone,” Samuel sputters.

His parents nod, understanding the bond between the two boys. It’s too sudden, they’ve been together their whole lives to be separated so suddenly like this.

“Of course, we’ve talked. If Jihoon wants to come along, we’ll take him in. We’re his next family, and he’s as important to us as he is to you. It’s Jihoon’s choice, we’ll be more than happy to have him join us.”

At first, Samuel is elated at the thought that he won’t have to suffer alone in a foreign country. Then he remembers.

Kang Daniel.

Even before he asks Jihoon, he knows he already has Jihoon’s answer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samuel finds himself waiting outside Jihoon’s house. Jihoon isn’t home, and he figures he’s out with Daniel. The two return an hour later, laughing merrily and holding hands like any normal couple out there.

“Samuel?” Jihoon calls out to his friend waiting at his doorstep.

“Hey,” Samuel greets his friend, and exchanges an awkward nod with Daniel. Because well, Samuel does know his dirty secret.

Jihoon is wearing a worried frown when he looks back at his friend, “Is anything wrong? Are you okay? Is everything okay at home?”

“Does something have to be wrong for me to look my best friend up?” Samuel tries joking, but he chokes up halfway, and prays Jihoon doesn’t notice. “I just wanted to have dinner with you.”

Jihoon bites his lower lip and exchanges glances with Daniel.

“I already had my dinner, but for you, I’ll have supper today,” Jihoon smiles. He then turns to Daniel and says, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Daniel nods, waving goodbye to the two friends and leaves.

Jihoon cooks instant noodles for both of them, and even includes two eggs. As much as Samuel wants to diss his friend’s cooking, he has to admit it’s good.

“It’s hard to mess instant noodles up,” Samuel says, which makes Jihoon scowl. Oh, his friend that looks even uglier when he scowls, Samuel is going to miss Jihoon.

Jihoon scoops his portion into his bowl, “I’ve become a better cook because of Daniel. He taught me how to make a lot of other things. I’ll cook them for you next time.”

It’s like magic, how Jihoon always seems happier whenever the word “Daniel” escapes his mouth. 

“Hey um,” Samuel’s serious tone dampens Jihoon’s mood and he instantly feels guilty. “My parents told me we have to move to the U.S because my dad’s been posted there for work.”

Jihoon’s spoon stops in mid-air, and silence surrounds the two friends. Jihoon looks confused, like he can’t figure out if Samuel is joking or if he’s actually serious this time.

“W-when?” is the first thing Jihoon asks.

“Wednesday,” Samuel replies, and realises he should have finished his dinner before breaking the news to Jihoon because the noodles don’t look as appetizing as before.

“That’s in four days,” Jihoon says in a pained voice, almost bringing tears to Samuel’s eyes. He manages to hold his tears back, because no way in hell is he going to cry in front of Jihoon.

He stirs his soup aimlessly with his chopsticks, “I just found out today too.”

“My parents said they’d be more than happy if you came along, but I told them you probably wouldn’t because I think you’re beginning to enjoy life here as well.”

“Sam,” Jihoon begins, but he doesn’t have the words to continue, and Samuel knows he’s right.

Samuel nods, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back when his work ends, although I don’t know how many years it’ll take. I’ll come back every vacation break, you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Really?” Jihoon smiles, but his eyes are already red. “Every vacation break?”

“And maybe even when I have school,” Samuel muses. “Just don’t be so sad when there’s no one to paint bloody messages with anymore.”

Jihoon pulls Samuel into a hug and soon, he feels Jihoon’s body shaking. 

Jihoon is crying.

“Fuck, I’m going to miss you so much you little shit,” Jihoon cries.

Samuel pats Jihoon’s back like he always does, “Are you really going to be cursing at me right now?”

“You’re such an asshole for leaving me here,” Jihoon sobs.

“Then come with me,” Samuel jokes, but Jihoon seems to take is seriously when he takes his hands off and stares at him with a serious expression on his face.

“I don’t want to live off you, or your parents,” Jihoon says, and his eyes waver when he adds, “And... you know I can’t leave-“

“Daniel,” Samuel completes Jihoon’s sentence for him. “I know you won’t be able to leave Daniel. I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Jihoon nods, and Samuel is happy that the worst is over. 

“Eat your noodles before they get soggy,” Jihoon says, his tears still threatening to flow down his cheeks. He uses his cheeks to wipe them away.

To Samuel, Jihoon is still the seven-year-old boy who fell from his bike and couldn’t stop crying when he scraped his knee. He only stopped crying when Samuel promised to share his chocolate bun with him.

“Aw, you care about me,” Samuel teases.

“Shut the fuck up.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day, Jihoon decides to look Daniel up to plan for Samuel’s farewell party. It’s on a short notice, his best friend of seventeen years is leaving in three days and the least he can do is send him off happily.

Jihoon decides to walk over to Daniel’s house since the weather is nice and cooling today. And he knows what Daniel means when he can’t wait any longer to see his boyfriend’s face. He’s sure Daniel is going to like it when he surprises him at his front door anyway.

He climbs up the hill and ends up at Daniel’s front gate. Jihoon has been here once, at night. The house looks even more vibrant and majestic in the day time.

The garden is beautiful, filled with many different flowers of different colours and sizes. Jihoon wonders where Daniel has placed the flowers Jihoon had given to him for his birthday.

Just then, the door unlocks and a woman steps out of the house. Jihoon recognises her as Daniel’s mother, because he’s pestered Daniel to at least show him a photo of her if he couldn’t meet her in person. He hasn’t seen a photo of Daniel’s father; Daniel didn’t have a picture of his father in his phone that time.

“Can I help you?” Daniel’s mother notices Jihoon standing outside their gate and Jihoon bows politely. He’s never expected to meet Daniel’s mother like this.

“I’m um… I’m waiting for Daniel,” Jihoon replies.

“Do you want to come inside and wait?” she asks, and before Jihoon can protest, she unlocks the gate and Jihoon steps into the garden he’s only ever admired from the outside. Now that he’s inside, he can smell the distinct aroma of the flowers.

“Your garden is really pretty,” Jihoon compliments, and Daniel’s mother smiles at him gratefully, “I plant all these myself.”

Jihoon was right then, Daniel’s mother did have green fingers. He’s nervous to enter Daniel’s house without informing him first, but figures Daniel won’t have a problem if his mother was the one who had personally invited Jihoon in.

The interior of the house is even grander than its exterior. The ceiling is high, and the furniture is modern and stylish. 

“Where are you boys planning to go today?” Daniel’s mother asks, and Jihoon is delighted to make small talk.

“Just the arcade down the road,” Jihoon replies, happy to know that Daniel’s mother is as nice as her son is. 

“Would you like some water to drink while waiting for Daniel to come down? He should be out of the shower soon,” his mother offers and Jihoon accepts her kind gesture almost immediately, “Yes, that would be great, thank you.”

Daniel’s mother smiles as she makes her way to the kitchen, and Jihoon follows behind her. The kitchen is as big as Jihoon’s entire house, and even their water comes out of a special distillation jug.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before? Or have I?” Daniel’s mother says as she puts the cup on a tray to bring to Jihoon, who has taken a seat on the chair near the kitchen counter. “Daniel’s friends come over so much I don’t keep track anymore.”

Jihoon laughs, and immediately knows Daniel’s mother is referring to Daniel’s group of rowdy friends.

“No,” Jihoon shakes his head. “This is the first time you’ve seen me.”

“Oh? What’s your name? Sorry for not asking earlier, my memory has been failing me these days. I must be getting old,” Daniel’s mother asks as she walks over to where Jihoon is sitting.

“My mother used to say that all the time,” Jihoon recalls. “My name is Park Jihoon. It’s really nice to meet you.”

The crash of the glass that Daniel’s mother was holding makes Jihoon jump out of his seat. Daniel’s mother looks shocked for a moment, and Jihoon immediately runs up to help clean up the mess.

“Are you okay?” Jihoon panics, hoping Daniel’s mother wasn’t hurt by any shards of glass. “Let me help you clean it.”

Daniel’s mother grabs Jihoon’s arm a little too strongly, “What did you say your name was?”

“P-park Jihoon,” Jihoon sputters, surprised by her sudden change in attitude. “Is there a problem?” 

“Honey! I heard something breaking, is everything okay?” a man’s voice calls out from upstairs, and Jihoon thinks it sounds all too familiar to someone he knows. Still, he bends down to help pick up the glass shards near Daniel’s mother’s feet, just in case she stepped on them. He pricks himself in the process, and grimaces as he pulls a tiny shard of class out of his pinky finger.

“Are you okay?” the same man’s voice is clearer now, “Who’s that in the kitchen?”

Jihoon stands up to greet the man, but stops cold in his tracks when he sees who it is.

Usually, the man he remembers doesn’t look like that. The man in his mind is a cold, selfish man who he only sees around school with a suit and tie and walks around with the vice-principal the entire time. 

It’s difficult for Jihoon’s mind to match the man, now in comfortable home clothes and holding newspapers in his hand to the man who he had seen that night of the accident. 

Kang Yoonseok stops, shocked, when he meets Jihoon’s eye.

For a moment, it seems like the world has stopped spinning, although Jihoon knows it’s impossible. Time stops in that moment, and Jihoon has long forgotten about his bleeding pinky because of the man standing in front of him.

He doesn’t understand. Why is Kang Yoonseok; the man he’s been waiting to get revenge on, in Daniel’s house?

“Honey,” Daniel’s mother breaks the silence, “P-park Jihoon is here. He says he’s Daniel’s friend.”

Kang Yoonseok’s eyes flash with anger and he walks up to Jihoon, and Jihoon is pushed up against a wall. Jihoon’s entire being loses strength, and he feels like he can’t breathe.

“What are you doing here in my house?” Kang Yoonseok growls, “The pranks weren’t enough? I let you go with detention, and here you are, messing around with my son?”

Son? Jihoon’s eyes sting with tears from the sheer memory of the night of the incident. He wants to shake Kang Yoonseok’s grip off him, but his knees are weak.

“I told you not to mess around with me,” Kang Yoonseok continues, “But when you touch my family; I won’t hold back anymore.”

_Family?_

Jihoon doesn’t understand all of this, and he closes his eyes as tightly as possible to wake up from this horrible nightmare. 

The nightmare doesn’t end, and Kang Yoonseok whispers into his ear, “I can get rid of you as easily as I did to your parents. You tried messing with Daniel, and you’ll pay for that.”

Suddenly, Kang Yoonseok is ripped away from Jihoon, and Jihoon falls to the ground. He feels tears streaming down his cheeks – but he doesn’t know when he even started crying.

Kang Yoonseok is sprawled onto the ground, groaning in pain. Jihoon looks up, only to see the person he’s been waiting for to save him this entire time.

“Daniel,” Jihoon manages to squeeze his name out even when he’s in pain everywhere possible. The memories from the night of the accident are flooding into his mind again, and then his father’s funeral, and then his mother’s.

Daniel kneels down and grabs Jihoon’s shoulders, “Jihoon, can you see me? Are you okay? Answer me!”

“Daniel!” the voice comes back again, and Jihoon knows it’s Kang Yoonseok shouting. “What do you think you’re doing right now?”

Daniel touches Jihoon’s face and wipes away the tears streaming down his face.

“Honey, calm down,” Daniel’s mother yells back. 

Jihoon wants everyone to shut up, for people to stop yelling. For Kang Yoonseok to disappear. For Daniel to hold him and tell him everything is a bad dream.

Daniel is made to stand up when Kang Yoonseok grabs him, “What are you doing?”

“Father!” Daniel yells and swats Kang Yoonseok’s arm away.

_Father?_

Jihoon can only look at the scene in front of him helplessly, because he’s frozen in his spot. Daniel is yelling at Kang Yoonseok, but he can’t hear anything because his mind is filled with voices of his own.

_Don’t you know who I am? If you don’t want to get kicked out of this school don’t ever come near to that boy and his friend again._

_You tried messing with Daniel, and you’ll pay for that._

_Father._

Shut the fuck up, Jihoon screams internally.

There’s only one other reason for all of this other than this being a nightmare he can’t wake up from.

Kang Yoonseok is Daniel’s father.

And Daniel knows.

Daniel has known since a long time ago.

_Daniel lied to him._

“Jihoon?” Daniel’s voice jolts him back to reality, where Daniel’s mother is holding Kang Yoonseok back, and Daniel is holding his hand again. “You’re bleeding, are you okay?”

“What’s going on? My head hurts,” Jihoon whines and swats Daniel’s hand away.

“Jihoon,” Daniel’s voice is pleading, “Please listen to me.”

Jihoon looks away, because he knows if he looks at Daniel he’ll get sucked into Daniel’s lies again.

He steadies himself using the wall, and his knees are still wobbly from the shock. “I… I should go, I need to get out of here now.”

“Okay, I know,” Daniel says, “I know, baby. Just listen to me, we’ll go somewhere else.”

Jihoon shakes his head, “No.”

“No?” Daniel sounds both hurt and confused.

“Fuck you, Kang Daniel,” Jihoon says when he finally meets Daniel’s eyes. “Was I really that easy to play with?”

Daniel’s eyes are a mess of shock and fear, then, devastation. He looks like he wants to say something, but the words aren’t forming as easily as before. His arms are shaking and he looks unsure as to whether Jihoon is okay with Daniel touching him.

“I-I wasn’t playing with you,” Daniel finally says, but all his words sound like lies to Jihoon now.

Jihoon takes a good look at Daniel, and wonders how he ever let himself get tricked so easily. It must’ve been Daniel’s gorgeous face, and the equally beautiful lies that spewed out of his mouth so naturally.

He pushes past Daniel and walks up to Kang Yoonseok, “Sorry, but I don’t fuck around with your son anymore. It’s such a shame that he’s exactly the same as you.”

Jihoon wants to walk away, then adds, “And you can’t get rid of me that easily. You might have killed my parents and suffered no repercussions but I swear, as long as I’m alive, you won’t be able to have a good night’s rest.”

He passes Daniel’s mother on the way out, and wonders how a kind woman like her could hide such a dirty secret just because she loved her husband that much.

Before his tears can fall, Jihoon storms out of the house and runs as fast as his legs can take him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon drops to the ground, his energy drained when he’s finally home. His house might be small, but it looks as empty as ever without Daniel in it.

“Fuck you,” Jihoon whispers, willing the thoughts about Daniel to go away. Why was he even wasting his tears over someone that told him nothing but lies anyway?

He’s breathing heavily, both from the shock and the exhaustion.

There’s a knock on the door, then comes Daniel’s voice; the voice Jihoon has listened to without any suspicion for the past few months.

“Jihoon! Please, let me in, and I’ll explain everything to you,” Daniel says as he knocks on the door repeatedly. Jihoon retreats to the corner of his room and folds his knees and starts to cry. It’s terrifying – to think about how much of himself he’s bared to a lying coward like Kang Daniel.

Yet, his heart wants to open the door, to let Daniel in. To let Daniel feed him with lies again.

The door opens anyway, revealing Daniel in a white shirt and shorts. Jihoon curses when he remembers giving Daniel the spare key to his house a month back.

“You really trusted him that much, huh?” Jihoon scoffs at himself.

Daniel approaches Jihoon with caution, as if afraid that Jihoon is going to strike anytime. 

“Why are you here? To tell me you love me? You can leave, because I’m not believing anything that comes out of your mouth again,” Jihoon snaps.

Daniel runs his fingers through his hair in frustration, “I know I shouldn’t have lied to you. I was just so scared of losing you, of losing what we had.”

To a certain extent, Jihoon almost understands. 

They were so perfect, so happy.

And what they had was destroyed in mere seconds.

Scratch that, Jihoon thinks. They were never meant to work out anyway.

“No,” Jihoon smiles a bitter smile, “It was my fault. I never should have trusted you so easily. It was just so easy you know? Having someone tell me I was beautiful. Having someone tell me he cared.”

Daniel looks broken as he kneels down to reach Jihoon’s eye level, “No, please. This is all my fault, and I deserve everything bad in the world. I just… can you please listen to me?”

And what? Jihoon thinks. And everything is going to be okay again?

And I’ll suddenly be okay with you being the son of the man that killed my parents?

Jihoon takes a deep breath, and looks straight at Daniel, “Were you ever planning on telling me?”

Daniel is at a loss for words. He looks like he wants to disagree with Jihoon, but Jihoon already knows his answer.

Daniel’s silence is enough to help Jihoon make his decision, and he marches over to their cupboard and starts throwing Daniel’s shirts out. It’s not an easy task because their shirts are all mixed up, none of them cared to arrange them anymore.

“Take everything away,” Jihoon snaps as he throws his favourite Daniel shirt to Daniel. It’s nothing special, a plain, black one. But it’s his favourite because it smells the most like Daniel.

“Please don’t do this, Jihoon,” Daniel begs as he holds the shirts in his arms and steps towards Jihoon again.

He wants to throw everything away, the pots and plates they shared. The two towels in the bathroom, all the groceries they had gone shopping together for. Most of all, he wants to throw away his mattress; and all the nights Daniel had spent whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

Jihoon wants to throw away all the memories of Kang Daniel, because they hurt too much to remember.

“Get out,” Jihoon says in a surprisingly calm manner. “You were already setting yourself up for this when you started lying to me.” 

He snatches the spare key from Daniel’s hand and pushes Daniel out of the door. Daniel is infinitely times stronger than Jihoon, but he lets Jihoon drag him out; because he has no strength left to fight back.

“I’ll wait for you to calm down and we can talk,” Daniel says when he’s outside, and it irritates Jihoon to no end. What makes Kang Daniel think that he has the right to explain things to Jihoon?

“Don’t,” Jihoon snaps before he closes the door, “It’s no use. I’m done with this, with us.”

He doesn’t know why he likes to put up a strong front whenever it comes to Daniel. He collapses onto the bed, face buried into the pillow. He lets his tears stain the pillow, but even his bed feels unsafe because of how much it smells like Daniel.

For the past few months, he’s built his entire world around Kang Daniel.

There’s absolutely no way for Jihoon to escape this entire nightmare without physically leaving.

And then he makes the only decision logical to make right now. He dials Samuel’s number, and his friend picks up after two rings.

“Does your offer still stand?” Jihoon asks, almost choking on his tears because of how much his heart is telling him he shouldn’t be doing this.

“Is this about coming with me to the U.S? Because if so, then yes. But why? What about Daniel-“

It physically hurts for someone to mention Daniel’s name; it’s a painful reminder.

“Change of plans. I’m coming along.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapter yall have NOT been waiting for; but it had to happen sooner or later :(
> 
> please leave lots of comments i want to hear how you feel about all this!
> 
> not going to lie i feel really bad about hurting nielwink but....
> 
> still, thank u for reading and take care till the next update <3


	12. out of sight, not out of mind

Jihoon peeks out the curtains which are drawn over his window and finds Daniel still waiting at his doorstep. He wants to roll his eyes but instead, his heart breaks when he sees the strong gust of winter wind ruffling Daniel’s hair.

Suddenly, he remembers that Daniel came here in a shirt and shorts, and he immediately panics. It’s been almost an hour since Daniel has been sitting there, and Jihoon is sure it’s almost a single digit temperature outside. 

His hands hover around the door knob as he contemplates as to whether to ask Daniel to go home.

Any longer, and Jihoon is sure Daniel is going to freeze to death on his doorstep.

Jihoon opens the door and Daniel scrambles to his feet, his lips almost purple and his body shivering. As pissed as Jihoon is with Daniel, it still hurts him to no end to see Daniel in such a pathetic state.

“J-Jihoon,” Daniel’s teeth chatter when he realises that Jihoon is waiting for him to speak. Another strong gust of wind blows and it sends chills down Jihoon’s spine, even though he’s wrapped in almost three layers of clothing.

“Are you fucking crazy?” Jihoon snaps. “Get in before you freeze to death.”

Daniel doesn’t know how to respond to Jihoon’s offer and stands outside in the cold. Realizing that Daniel isn’t going to move, Jihoon grabs his arm (which is freezing cold) and drags him inside before slamming the door shut.

“Jihoon,” Daniel’s voice is still shaky from the cold, and Jihoon can tell he’s been crying as well, “I’m really, really sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Jihoon sighs. It’s not the time to be arguing with Daniel when he’s on the brink of freezing to death, so he hands Daniel a pullover and jeans. “Can you just go and take a warm shower?”

“But,” Daniel starts to protest and Jihoon waves him away dismissively, “Just go. You’re only going to make things worse if you try to argue with me right now.”

Daniel holds the clothes in his hands, then nods and shuts himself in the shower.

His house is filled again with only the sounds of the shower, and he wonders how something that once sounded to lovely to him can sound so dreadful now.

_Daniel is Kang Yoonseok’s son._

The thought is almost enough to drive him crazy. Jihoon has a million questions to ask Daniel; when did he realise? From the start? Was it fun watching him run around like a kid? 

_Did you even really love me?_

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Daniel comes out of the shower, now in warmer clothes but his body still shivering from the after effects, Jihoon hands him a cup of hot chocolate. Their fingers meet for a moment, and Jihoon wants everything to go back to normal. Instead, he retracts his hands quickly and maintains a distance between him and Daniel.

“Thank you,” is all Daniel says when he takes a gulp of the hot drink. 

“You’re still as stupid as when I first saw you,” Jihoon mutters under his breath. “How could you come here in shorts when it’s winter?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Daniel explains, in a weaker voice than before, “All I could think of was trying to explain things to you.”

That was such a Daniel thing to do. 

“You have to leave,” Jihoon says when Daniel finishes his drink. Although he doesn’t believe a word he says, because the last thing he wants is for Daniel to leave.

Daniel sets the cup down on the counter and steps closer to Jihoon, to which he responds with another step backwords. He’s afraid that if he lets Daniel touch him, it will all seem okay again, when in reality; nothing is okay.

“I don’t even know where to begin, Jihoon,” Daniel’s eyes are watery again. “I was being so stupid, all I thought of was keeping you beside me when you deserved the truth. I just thought that… maybe nothing else mattered.”

They were Park Jihoon and Kang Daniel, nothing else mattered back then.

Jihoon’s anger starts rising again, angrier at himself for trusting Daniel so easily than Daniel lying to him.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore,” Jihoon wants to yell, but it comes out almost pained, “I don’t know what I should believe anymore. You lied about everything, your parents, your family, yourself.”

“You were probably lying too when you said you loved me.”

Daniel looks shocked, then angry. His jaw tightens, and it reminds Jihoon of the first time they had met. 

“Park Jihoon,” Daniel says, almost threatening, “I really, truly, sincerely, loved you.”

“Loved,” Jihoon points out, and smiles bitterly.

“What?” 

“You said ‘loved’,” Jihoon’s eyes are stinging with tears now, “Past tense, Daniel. You might have loved me, and I might have loved you too. Present tense, I don’t love you anymore.”

Daniel holds Jihoon’s shoulders, but it doesn’t feel affectionate to Jihoon anymore. It almost seems frightening.

“I love you,” Daniel insists, “I love you so, so, much.”

The tears are streaming down Jihoon’s cheeks now, triggering Daniel’s tears to start falling as well. Jihoon clenches his fist and hits Daniel’s chest repeatedly.

“Then maybe you should have hidden it better!” Jihoon shouts and Daniel looks shocked at Jihoon’s sudden outburst. “You should have made sure there was no way I would find out! You should have tried lying harder, and then maybe this would never have happened!”

Daniel pulls Jihoon into his embrace and soon, they’re sobbing. Jihoon into Daniel’s chest and Daniel into Jihoon’s shoulder.

“Can’t we pretend this never happened?” Daniel pleads, “God, I want to be a nobody. I don’t care for the money and big houses I have, I just want you.”

Jihoon almost says yes; almost believes him again.

“It’s not going to happen,” Jihoon says. “I’m leaving.”

“What do you mean you’re leaving? Where are you leaving to?” Daniel sputters.

“Somewhere better than here,” is all Jihoon replies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon and Samuel skip their first class of the day and sit in silence in an empty classroom. The same one Daniel had dragged Ha Minho to back then. Everything reminds Jihoon of Daniel, and he hates it.

“What happened?” Samuel asks when they settle down in the dark. “Why the sudden decision?”

Jihoon purses his lips together, because it hurts to tell Samuel, or anyone.

“I should have listened to you, Kang Daniel is such a jerk,” Jihoon sighs.

He expects his friend to jump up in anger, demand a full explanation of the situation, or even march to Daniel’s class and threaten to kill him for hurting his best friend. Instead, all Samuel replies with is a soft whisper, “So you found out.”

“You… you knew?” Jihoon’s eyes waver, but Samuel only looks down at the ground.

“He told me to keep it a secret-“

“And you did?” Jihoon says in disbelief, “Didn’t you even think of me? About how I would feel dating the son of the man who killed my parents? Samuel, don’t you hate him too?”

Jihoon isn’t sure which one hurts more; getting lied to by Daniel or getting betrayed by his best friend.

“Look,” Samuel finally looks at Jihoon, and he doesn’t look the least bit guilty. “Daniel didn’t choose to be the son of Kang Yoonseok.”

“Are you seriously taking Daniel’s side?” Jihoon almost can’t believe his ears. “Maybe he didn’t choose to be the son of Kang Yoonseok. But he chose to lie to me.”

Samuel sighs, exasperated, “I know it sounds fucked up. I was so angry at him, but I thought it over. Jihoon, he lied to protect you. He knew you would react like this, so he practically went on his knees to beg me.”

Jihoon rolls his eyes, and says sarcastically, “How else would I react? Kiss him and tell him it’s okay? He broke my trust, Sam. I don’t know what’s up with you, but I’m not going to forgive him.”

Jihoon stands up to leave, but gets held back by Samuel.

“You don’t have to forgive him,” Samuel replies, “But I saw him, his eyes. The desperation in his eyes when he pleaded with me. He loved you so god damn much. You can walk away now, just don’t regret it later.”

Jihoon swats Samuel’s arm away and walks out the classroom, making sure to slam the door to let Samuel know that he was pissed with him.

He bumps into the person he wants to see least right now. Daniel looks the same, his tie is loose, shirt untucked and name tag pinned on the wrong side. Daniel sees Jihoon as well, and is shocked for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Jihoon does the most logical thing, he walks past Daniel like he doesn’t know him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon walks past Daniel without sparing him a glance, and it hurts so much. Tears pierce Daniel’s eyes and he keeps his vision straight ahead, resisting the temptation to turn back and look at Jihoon one more time.

He’s fucked up for real this time, and he knows it.

“Did something happen?” Jisung taps on Daniel’s shoulder, “Or do you usually not acknowledge each other in school?”

“He found out, okay?” Daniel sighs, “I fucked up and he’s not talking to me.”

That shuts his friends up, although Daniel is sure they’re whispering behind his back. But he doesn’t care, because he was asking for this from the start.

Daniel’s phone starts ringing – it’s an unknown number. He picks it up anyway.

“Is this Kang Daniel speaking?” it’s a woman’s voice on the phone.

“Yes, what is this regarding?’ Daniel replies.

“I’m calling from the pet store near MyeongDong station. A few days ago, one of your friends participated in our dog naming contest and he won. He requested for the prize to be donated under your name, is it possible for you to come down and fill in your particulars?” 

Daniel takes a while to recall, but he remembers Jihoon telling him that he had named a puppy after him. This was probably what he was referring to.

It seems like so long ago, they were in that Italian restaurant eating pasta happily. It seems like forever since they were fine.

“Hello? Are you still there?” the woman’s voice breaks Daniel’s train of thought.

“I’m here, and yes, I’ll be there around three,” Daniel replies. The lady thanks him and hangs up.

Daniel sighs, it’s ironic. Even if Jihoon isn’t in his life anymore, he’s left pieces of himself all around for Daniel to pick up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel drops by the pet shop after school, and immediately spots the Samoyed puppy on one of the lower display shelves. There’s even a name sticker reading “Daniel” on the outside. Daniel strolls into the pet shop, and spots the same Samoyed stuff toy he has on one of the shelves.

He smiles to himself; knowing he has one at home sitting on his bed.

He then walks to the cashier and introduces himself.

“You can fill in your particulars here and we’ll donate a thousand dollars to the society of rescuing abandoned dogs in your name,” the lady hands him a form and Daniel fills it in, happy that he’s doing a good deed.

“Your friend left you a short note when he was here,” the lady says and hands him a small envelope when Daniel finishes filling up the form.

“Thank you so much,” Daniel says and leaves after waving at the puppy Samoyed, who wags its tail happily at Daniel. 

He can almost imagine Jihoon bending down and cooing at the same Samoyed a few days ago.

Daniel carefully tears the envelope open to reveal a small note, in the same writing Daniel has written all over his textbook and worksheets. It’s the handwriting Daniel has become too familiar with overtime.

_To: Daniel (the person I love, not the dog)_

Daniel stops reading, because it’s too much to process. And he can’t be breaking down in the middle of the shopping mall. He can almost hear Jihoon’s cheeky voice saying the exact same sentence, and he stuffs the small note into his pocket before he can read the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Daniel reaches home, he heads straight to his room before he’s stopped by his father. He scowls, and tries to push past him. They haven’t talked ever since Jihoon had found out, and Daniel figured it was better to say nothing if he only had bad things he wanted to tell his father.

“Daniel,” his father says, gripping his arm.

“What?” Daniel fixes his gaze upon his father, the murderer of the parents of the boy he loved and lost, “You ready to turn yourself in?”

Daniel’s father’s expression doesn’t change, and Daniel wonders how cold-blooded his father must be to be able to sleep every night knowing he single-handedly destroyed a happy family’s life and suffered no repercussions. 

“Why are you meddling in Park Jihoon’s business?” his father asks calmly, as if they were talking about the weather and not the fact that his father was supposed to be in jail. “You never used to care about other people.”

“Maybe you don’t know me,” Daniel snaps.

“Daniel,” his father sighs, “I might have made a few mistakes here and there. But this is nothing to ignore me and your mother about. Park Jihoon merely got close to you just to get his revenge on me.”

“No!” Daniel yells, startling his father’s stoic expression, “Don’t you ever talk about Jihoon that way, again. You killed his family, and now I’m the one suffering.”

“Why should you be suffering?” Daniel’s father questions, “Park Jihoon and his family are nothing compared to us, you don’t have to worry about them.”

Wrong, because Jihoon was everything. And Daniel was nothing but someone who had caused as much hurt to Jihoon as his own father did to Jihoon’s family. The last thing Daniel could do for Jihoon was to not become like his father.

“You’re so wrong, dear father,” Daniel smiles. “I’m nothing like you. And I will personally make sure you go to jail for your evil deeds, as well as everyone who helped you.”

Without another word, Daniel storms to his room and closes the door behind him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Junior Daniel,” Daniel sighs when he sees the Samoyed stuff toy on his bed, “What should I do?”

The sight of the stuff toy reminds him of Jihoon’s short letter, and he takes it out of his pocket. It’s crumpled, and Daniel tries the best he can to straighten it out nicely again.

_To: Daniel (the person I love, not the dog)_

It brings tears to Daniel’s eyes again. Still, he manages to hold back just enough to read the rest of the letter. 

_If you’re reading this, it means you won the contest!_

_Doesn’t Junior Daniel really look like you? Maybe because you’re both so cute._

_Don’t get jealous, you’re still my favourite Daniel, and you always will be._

_I love you! – Park Jihoon_

When he reads the letter, it almost seems like Jihoon is with him again. Although Jihoon is only a street away, he feels so, so, far away from Daniel.

And he doesn’t know how to reach out to Jihoon again. Fact is, he’s hurt Jihoon. He doesn’t know how to ever approach Jihoon again, or if he should. It seems easier to let Jihoon go, to let him be happier in a place far away.

Daniel realises he will always be selfish. There will always be a part of him that will always want Jihoon for himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon shoots Samuel a glare when he sees Daniel at the airport. Jihoon has (with difficulty) pushed Daniel out of his mind for the past few days. He’d been busy discussing his school arrangements with Samuel’s parents. 

He’s decided to let Samuel’s parents pay for his school fees first, on the condition that they let him work part time in order to pay them back. Samuel’s parents are the angels his parents have left for him, and he’s eternally grateful to them for accepting him.

Between him and Samuel, they’ve made up ever since the little argument they had in school. They’ve only been planning on places to visit when they’re on vacation, and what kind of after activities they’re going to join in their new school.

It’s like a breath of fresh air, when they talk about their new life away from Korea. Although Jihoon knows everything is merely a temporary distraction from Daniel.

_Daniel._

He’s been a taboo topic ever since he and Samuel made up, which is why Jihoon is mad to see Daniel waiting for him at the airport. Without asking, he knows Samuel must have somehow let Daniel know which terminal to wait at for him.

“I told you I was done with him,” Jihoon hisses so that Samuel’s parents don’t hear him.

Samuel shoots him a stern look, “I don’t care. You don’t have to forgive him but at least talk things out with him before we leave. Don’t let him come here for nothing, you’re not that much of an asshole.”

“Isn’t that Daniel?” Samuel’s mother says happily as she waves to Daniel, “Jihoon, you should go and say goodbye to your friend before we leave. It’s really nice of him to be here!”

Friend, Jihoon laughs bitterly. They had once been so much less, and so much more than friends.

He’s not in the mood to argue with Samuel’s parents, who look elated that someone has come to see him off, so he drags his feet towards Daniel. This time, he’s dressed in a warm winter coat, which strangely makes Jihoon feel more assured.

Still, he maintains a gap between them.

Daniel manages a small smile, “Hey. I came to say goodbye.”

Jihoon looks at the ground, mumbling, “You didn’t have to.”

Daniel doesn’t know how to respond to that, and they stand in silence for a while. The crowds of people push past Jihoon wish their heavy luggage, and he gets shoved by a rude elderly lady. Jihoon almost loses his step, but Daniel quickly holds his waist and steadies him before he can fall.

It reminds Jihoon of that time in the library. 

It hurts to remember, so Jihoon stops. He doesn’t leave Daniel’s embrace, because it’s way too comfortable and familiar to move. 

“I just want to apologise to you properly before you leave,” Daniel says, moving his hands up to Jihoon’s shoulder. He takes a deep breath, “I’m really sorry for hurting you, for lying to you, and everything else.”

Jihoon bites on his bottom lip, and finally nods. The anger from betrayal still bubbles beneath him, but he manages to supress it. He doesn’t want to dwell on this anymore, it’s better to resolve everything before leaving.

“Okay,” Jihoon says. “I have to go soon.”

Daniel frowns, “That soon?”

Jihoon sighs, and wishes Daniel would stop talking like that; like they still had something left to save.

There’s a small part in Jihoon that believes that maybe, there is still something left of their relationship to salvage. For now, all he needs is time alone to think.

“Except for lying to me and all,” Jihoon starts saying, “You were a good friend, and maybe boyfriend. I felt loved, so I should still thank you.”

Once the words escape his mouth, there’s a burden in his chest that has magically been lifted.

Daniel’s top lip trembles, “I was a pretty shitty everything. But you were the best. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you what you truly deserved.”

Jihoon doesn’t know how to respond, and Daniel adds, “But I wasn’t lying when I said I loved you. Just in case you were wondering.”

Somehow, Jihoon believes him this time. 

“I don’t know if I believe that,” Jihoon smiles, genuinely this once. “But thank you. I’ll get going now.”

Daniel nods, and lets him go. Jihoon resists the urge to kiss Daniel, because there’s so many other things he needs to sort out before he comes back; or if he ever does.

“Okay, have a safe flight,” Daniel replies. He contemplates something, then gives Jihoon a hug, “I won’t say goodbye, because I believe that we’ll meet again someday. As better people, with better circumstances.”

Jihoon doesn’t realise how much he’s missed Daniel until he gets wrapped in Daniel’s arms again. Just this once, he lets his defences down again and hugs Daniel back.

For just this moment, Daniel isn’t Kang Yoonseok’s son. 

He’s just Daniel, just the plain, old Kang Daniel that Park Jihoon will always keep in a special place in his heart.

When they break away, Jihoon has to turn away to hide his tears. Quickly, he wipes them away with his sleeve and shoots Daniel a smile, hoping he buys it.

“Goodbye, Kang Daniel.”

Jihoon takes his leave and joins Samuel and his parents, still smiling happily at him and Daniel. When he looks back at Daniel, Jihoon hates that today of all days, Daniel looks the most beautiful.

It’s almost like nothing about him is real.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The plane ride is an excruciating 13 hours long, made even more painful because Jihoon knows that with every minute that passes, he’s another few miles further away from Daniel.

He doesn’t know if he will ever be ready to forgive Daniel for lying to him. 

Maybe one day, when Jihoon finally has the time to think about what these few months really meant to him, then he and Daniel will be able to meet again.

_“I believe we’ll meet again someday. As better people, with better circumstances.”_

Jihoon looks out the plane and fluffy white clouds greet him. He wonders if Daniel is looking at the same sky, and thinking of Jihoon like Jihoon is thinking of him.

_“I really, really hope we do, Kang Daniel.”_

For now, Daniel is only out of sight. Never out of mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have one more chapter before the end because i know how many of you will organise a manhunt for me if i choose to end it here!
> 
> still, thank you for supporting this story thus far!
> 
> and for leaving all the kind comments and feedback - i really read them all.
> 
> i'll be starting on a new nielwink/onghwang chaptered fic called 'two worlds collide', be sure to check that out the first chapter as well!
> 
> see you at the last chapter soon! love you all and take care <3


	13. yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end.

_(1 year after)_

At first, it’s painful for Jihoon to step into a school – all he has are memories of Daniel and him sneaking kisses in the janitor’s cupboard or having Daniel shamelessly flirt with him in the cafeteria. 

Fortunately, Jihoon isn’t alone. He has Samuel beside him, looking as afraid and anxious as him. Students stream past Jihoon and Samuel, chatting happily with their friends. The school looks intimidating, but Jihoon is thankful he at least has a chance at completing his education.

The first few weeks in a new environment are the worst. Although Jihoon is only seventeen, he’s made to take the class for “gifted students” because of “the knowledge he possesses” according to the teachers in the school.

Jihoon doesn’t talk to anyone in class; and for a moment he feels like he’s back home in Seoul, being the same quiet and mysterious Park Jihoon.

He then decides he doesn’t want to be the old Park Jihoon anymore. Jihoon no longer has anything left to hide. 

He didn’t leave to run away from his problems just to become the same person he had been back then. Jihoon left to become someone new.

Jihoon gathers all of his courage and joins the school’s soccer team, who are unexpectedly welcoming. After a few trainings and team-bonding sessions, he discovers a newfound love for the sport; which in a way, takes most of his focus off Daniel.

He still thinks of Daniel sometimes. 

Okay, maybe most of the time.

Everything reminds Jihoon of the first boy he ever fell in love with. Even a simple gesture like eating lunch in the school’s cafeteria reminds him of Daniel. When it gets bad, Jihoon gets tempted to get in touch with Daniel – just to find out how he’s doing.

And he stops himself every time. Simply because it doesn’t feel right for Jihoon to reach out to Daniel at the moment.

For now, he’s just trying to lead as normal as life as possible – even if it means Daniel isn’t in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jihoon leaves, Daniel mopes around in his room for almost a week. It’s pathetic, really, how strong he acted in front of Jihoon at the airport when he refused to eat out of plain sadness that Jihoon was gone.

If it wasn’t for Jisung and the rest, Daniel was positive he would have somehow managed to die out of sadness – if it was even humanely possible. 

His friends had to forcefully drag him out of the house when Daniel’s parents were growing increasingly concerned with his health. Jisung threatened to never talk to Daniel again if he didn’t eat, and Daniel gave in. 

Somehow, he got his shit together.

Something about their goodbye told Daniel that their farewell wasn’t exactly farewell. It was more of a ‘see you later’. Or so Daniel liked to believe. The fact that Jihoon didn’t curse him out in front of everyone in the airport spoke volumes for their relationship.

No, Daniel wasn’t going to say goodbye to Jihoon that easily. He wasn’t going to let Jihoon believe that he would let him go that easily.

Daniel started to study hard again – although it was even harder not having his super cute tutor around anymore. The small notes on Daniel’s textbooks were proof of how true their love was. 

The first few pages were full of plain old asterisks and underlines. As Daniel flipped the pages over, the small notes slowly turned to secret love notes Jihoon would leave for him. 

Everything reminded Daniel of Jihoon.

Sometimes, Daniel was tempted to get in touch with Samuel and beg him for Jihoon’s number, or their current address.

But he stopped himself every time. As much as he hated it, Daniel wanted to give Jihoon as much space as he needed. It just wasn’t the right time for them to meet again, and Daniel continued to every night that their first farewell didn’t mean a real farewell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_(2 years later)_

Anyone who knew the Park Jihoon from two years ago would know how much he has changed since then. And the only people that knew the old Jihoon were Samuel and his parents.

_(And Daniel – but he wasn’t here right now)_

Even Jihoon could feel that he had changed; but in a good way. After a year of school, he’d learnt how to speak up against issues he felt strongly about. Maybe it was the unfamiliar environment and faces that helped Jihoon to gain confidence, but he no longer felt like he had to hide himself from anyone.

Jihoon was very active in the soccer team as well. He gained recognition from the students and teachers alike for his natural skills for the sport, and for the first time in his life, he felt passionate.

And, he had met a boy.

Woojin joined the soccer team almost the same time as Jihoon. They hit if off instantly at the try-outs, and Woojin matched Jihoon’s sarcastic nature almost perfectly. 

Jihoon believed the best relationships always started from friendships. The two were the best of friends, even out of soccer practice. When Samuel was eating with the other friends he had made in his class, Jihoon and Woojin would eat their lunch together and joke about anything on the planet.

It wasn’t a lie to say that Jihoon saw Woojin’s confession coming. Woojin’s anxiety was at his peak on that day, and his hands trembled when Jihoon asked him if something was wrong. Jihoon caught on even before Woojin could surprise him with the flowers he had gotten.

“Okay,” was all Jihoon said when Woojin finally asked Jihoon to go out with him.

Jihoon had shocked both Woojin and himself with that answer. The two were friends for almost a year when Woojin had properly asked him for, so anyone would think it was more than appropriate for the two to get together.

It felt right, so right, to Jihoon. Woojin was everything he had missed about having someone beside him. Even when they were dating, they still treated each other like friends, with added kisses and physical affection for each other.

Their relationship never felt wrong to Jihoon.

It just never felt right enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel does well in his college entrance exams.

Okay, to give himself credit, he did extremely well. He’d even taken up a scholarship and got into the course he wanted to study. 

“I’m going to study law,” Daniel announced at one of their family dinners one day. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air; the question that his parents had in the minds all hanging in the air between them.

“I’m glad you got your act together,” Daniel’s father clears his throat and says with the fakest smile Daniel has ever come across in his entire life. “You should study whatever you like. As long as you do well in it.”

Daniel scoffs, and suddenly the steak that his mother cooked for dinner didn’t look so appetizing anymore. Actually, nothing looked appetizing when he had to eat at the same table as his father. Whenever he looked his father in the eye, all he could see was the devastated expression on Jihoon’s face back then.

“Yes, father,” Daniel smiles, knowing he’s already won half the battle. “I will study hard, and punish you myself.”

Daniel’s mother drops the knife she’s holding, her mouth agape.

“Daniel-“ his mother says, looking frightened at how the mood suddenly turned chilly.

More than anything, Daniel can’t believe that his mother is still on his father’s side, even after knowing what he’d done since the beginning.

Daniel’s fingers clench around his own cutting knife, “Mother, you should know better. This man is a murderer, and you’re covering up his crimes. I’m not going to protect him anymore.”

He stands up and looks his father straight in the eyes to make sure his father knows how serious he is about this. Then, he heads upstairs and starts packing his bag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After much pleading and reasoning, Daniel’s mother finally decides to get a divorce with his father, even know they know they will have nothing to their name after that.

And Daniel feels even better about that. For as long as he can remember, he’s been living off his father’s dirty money. Now, with his scholarship and burning passion to expose his father’s crimes to the entire world, Daniel is convinced that they are going to be okay.

Maybe, he can start looking for Jihoon sooner than he thinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_(3 years later)_

The winter of 2012 is another painful and lonely one for Jihoon. 

Honestly, Jihoon saw his and Woojin’s relationship coming to an end a few months before they officially broke off and returned to being soccer teammates. It hurts Jihoon more than he expected it would, the only reason being that the problem didn’t lie with Woojin; it was with him.

They were happy; Jihoon and Woojin. They really were.

Jihoon felt genuinely loved and happy whenever they spent time together. The only problem was that Jihoon felt that he could never reciprocate the love Woojin showed him.

Deep down, Jihoon knows there’s not enough space in his heart for Woojin. 

Daniel has already occupied most of it.

Their break up is anything but problematic, which Jihoon is eternally grateful for. Jihoon sits Woojin down in his bedroom, and tells Woojin everything about himself. Yes, including everything about him from three years ago.

It’s hard to tell what Woojin is thinking just from his expression – he’s never been one to show much reactions. 

However, when Woojin pulls in Jihoon for a hug after he learns about Jihoon’s true feelings, it proves to Jihoon that he’s done the right thing.

“I really hope he comes back for you,” is all Woojin says before he leaves. 

The winter in 2012 is the coldest one in history, and the loneliness and sadness Jihoon’s heart feels amplifies the cold spell.

All Jihoon wishes for that Christmas is for his angel to come back to him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

College isn’t kind to Daniel. He’s bombarded with projects and assignments that he’s sure isn’t humanely possible to finish by the end of the day. Most of the time, he’s stuck in the library with his head buried in his books and forgetting to eat his meals; which usually ends up with him heating up leftover pizza from the day before.

The only good thing college leaves him with is Hwang Minhyun, a graduated senior from his course. The two meet in one of the college parties Daniel is forced to attend, and Daniel instantly seeks his help.

Minhyun’s eyes grow wider as he listens to Daniel tell his story. His and Jihoon’s.

“Your father… did that?” Minhyun gasps when Daniel finishes. By that time, most of the people that attended the party are either fooling around upstairs or passed out and wasted on the couch.

Daniel, however, is perfectly sober.

“Crazy, right?” Daniel laughs. “I’m going to land him in jail, and everyone that helped him.”

“This boy you speak of, Jihoon,” Minhyun continues, “You must love him a lot to do this.”

Daniel nods, smiling at the cup of beer he hasn’t touched since the party started.

‘I would do anything to make it up to him. I want to meet him again as a better person.”

Minhyun helps him argue to re-open the case. And Daniel struggles to cope with his back-breaking deadlines alongside doing personal investigations for Jihoon’s parents murder case; which is nothing less than impossible because the police refuse to disclose anything related to the case.

It makes sense, that their mouths would be sealed shut when they had been paid handsomely by his father

Another person Daniel learns to be thankful for is Seongwoo. When he hears about what his father has done, he starts gathering as much information as he can for Daniel and Minhyun to re-open the case.

They meet several dead ends, and Daniel starts to feel guilty for making Minhyun waste his time on a case that results have already been decided by power and money.

“I want to do this,” Minhyun assures Daniel one night when they look over all the evidence they’ve gathered over the past few months. “I became a lawyer to bring justice to the people who deserve it. Isn’t that why you wanted to study law too?”

Minhyun’s persistence drives Daniel harder to search for more evidence under the radar.

This is nothing, Daniel thinks, compared to what Jihoon had to go through.

It would be worth it in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_(4 years later)_

College was another milestone Jihoon never thought he would achieve. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to study, but started to get interested with psychology when he did more research on the courses the colleges offered.

Jihoon takes the jump, and continues onto the next phase of his life

It’s inevitable, that Jihoon thinks about Daniel again when he’s studying.

He wonders if Daniel has done well; if he continued to study hard even when Jihoon wasn’t there to cheer him on. He wonders if Daniel made it to college, and if yes; what he was studying right now.

Jihoon smiles when he thinks of Daniel studying something related to medicine, because he knows how interested Daniel was in biology when he was still tutoring him. Plus, Jihoon thinks Daniel would make a good doctor.

And he realises just how much he misses Kang Daniel.

It’s been four years, yet he hasn’t left Jihoon’s mind even for a second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s on the 2nd week of January when Jihoon hears news about Daniel.

He’s back home on the weekend, and finds Samuel and his parents waiting anxiously for him at the door. 

“It’s Daniel,” Samuel says in an uncertain voice, almost as if unsure if Jihoon even remembered Daniel. 

The first thought that comes to Jihoon’s mind is that something terrible has happened to Daniel. It could be an accident, or drug overdose, and god forbid, that Daniel was suffering right now.

“Daniel is on the news!” Samuel’s mother clears up the situation, and Jihoon rushes into the house, just in time to catch the news caster announcing the next piece of news.

_“And in South Korea, we have a lawyer and his assistant re-opening and winning a 6-year-old case that was covered up by the police force back then. The case was ruled as drunk-driving, but Hwang Minhyun and his assistance, Kang Daniel, a current law student at Seoul university, collected evidence against the result and won the case this morning.”_

The camera pans to Daniel, and Jihoon almost cries from the mere sight of seeing Daniel again, even if it’s just on screen. Beside Daniel is another neat looking man, who Jihoon assumes to be Hwang Minhyun.

Then, the screen changes to someone else Jihoon knows well.

It’s Kang Yoonseok, now in cuffs, being led away from his house by the police.

_“Kang Yoonseok, ex-principal, has been arrested for murder and other cases related to embezzlement.”_

Jihoon’s heart soars when he hears that. Justice has finally been done.

The screen then shows a crowd of reporters chasing after Hwang Minhyun and Daniel when they’re coming out of the front doors of the courts.

“Is it true that you wanted to arrest your father completely out of your own will?” a reporter asks Daniel, and the camera shows a clearer shot of Daniel’s face.

Jihoon smiles, Daniel looks as dashing as ever. Not much has changed about Daniel, except his shoulders are even broader than before and he’s grown much taller. 

Daniel looks straight into the camera when he says the next words, and Jihoon almost feels that Daniel is addressing him, and him only.

“Yes. I did it for myself, and for someone else. I should have done this a long time ago, I’m sorry for doing this only now.”

And Jihoon cries, out of relief and happiness. That he was wrong about Daniel; that he was anything like his father – when he was the exact opposite.

He believes Daniel now. And everything else he’d said.

Although Daniel had lied to him about some things, he was genuine about everything else that should have mattered more to Jihoon. 

Daniel was telling the truth – when he said he truly loved Jihoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes Daniel another few months to complete his degree in law. Although he wanted desperately to reach out to Jihoon after the court case had gone viral on the news, he waited.

He waited to finish his studies properly; to come back as the best person he could.

Finally, on the night of his graduation, Daniel texted Samuel; the one number he hasn’t deleted even after 4 years. 

_To: Samuel_  
_Is it a good time for me to try again now?_

Daniel’s heart thumps when he finally taps on ‘send’. He knows how many things could possibly go wrong right now. 

Samuel could have changed his number. Even worse, Jihoon had completely forgotten about him and moved on with his own life.

While Daniel was busy being pessimistic, his phone rang, signalling a new message. His fingers were shaking when he unlocked his phone to read the new message from Samuel.

_From: Samuel_  
_He’d be mad you took so long to come._

In that instant, Daniel feels a combination of different feelings. He’s elated, no, over the moon, that Jihoon hasn’t forgotten about him. He’s anxious, at the thought of seeing Jihoon again. For the past four years, he hasn’t seen a single photo of Jihoon, and hasn’t heard any news about the boy he misses so much.

Daniel wonders if Jihoon grew taller, if his cheeks still had the same amount of fat in them.

He wonders if Jihoon is still as angsty and bratty as before, and would be thoroughly disappointed if he wasn’t. 

Daniel starts packing his luggage instantly when he realises he has absolutely no plans on how long he’s going to stay there.

Fuck it, Daniel thinks. He can do the thinking later.

For now, he has someone special he needs to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh shit,” Samuel says one weekend. Jihoon is lazing on his bed, and Samuel is sitting on the floor. Although Samuel has his own bedroom, he’s in Jihoon’s room most of the time – when Jihoon asks him why, he says the Wi-Fi is stronger in his room.

Jihoon tears his eyes away from his comic book to look at his friend, “What?”

Samuel shoots Jihoon a sheepish smile, “Daehwi’s asking me to go over, he needs some help; you know, mid-life crisis and all.”

Jihoon frowns at Samuel’s poorly constructed lie, “First of all, you promised me we’d eat pizza and watch a movie because it’s my fucking birthday. Second, why do you need to go when Daehwi calls even though you keep insisting on your heterosexuality?” 

Samuel’s cheeks tinge red, and he looks thoroughly embarrassed, “I like girls! And… I don’t know, oh my god. Can I just check it out? He might be dying right now for all we know. I promise I’ll come back in time for our dinner.”

Jihoon sighs, and takes pity on his friend.

“Fine. Don’t you fucking dare ditch me on my birthday.”

Samuel has a mysterious smile on his face when he stands up to leave, “Oh, don’t worry. This will be the best birthday you’ve ever had in your entire life.”

Before Jihoon can even ask Samuel what drugs he’s on, he rushes out of the room and Jihoon hears the front door slams. He’s alone at home now, Samuel’s parents are having an anniversary vacation in Thailand.

Jihoon lazes around on his bed for a while more before deciding to take a quick shower. After all, if he’s heading out on his 20th birthday, he has to look presentable – even if he’s going out with just Samuel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s an impatient knock on the front door when Jihoon is drying his hair with a towel.

“Hold on!” Jihoon shouts, thinking it’s probably Samuel who forgot to bring his keys out with him. 

The knocking doesn’t stop even when Jihoon is trying his best to fit into his tight black jeans. He struggles to put on a shirt and runs to the front door, irritated that whoever at the door didn’t know how to wait.

“Fucking hell,” Jihoon curses when he unlocks the door, “Can’t you wait just a minute more for me to put on some clothes? You don’t have to knock the fucking door down-“

“Daniel?”

The boy (or now, man) standing in front of Jihoon looks exactly like Daniel, except he’s taller. His hair is no longer black, but a light shade of brown.

Everything else about the man is identical to Daniel. The same eyes, the same nose, the same lips. 

“Hello to you too, Park Jihoon. And no, I can’t wait another minute to see you when I’ve waited four years.”

Hell, even his voice sounds identical to Daniel’s.

Jihoon has had countless dreams like the one he’s having now. Dreams that let him and Daniel meet again, and they always end with Jihoon waking up and staring at the ceiling. However, he’s not waking up from this one.

“Are you not going to let me in? Don’t you miss me at all?” the Daniel clone prompts Jihoon, and something in Jihoon clicks.

Without hesitating, Jihoon wraps his arms around Daniel’s waist.

He smells exactly the same – just like home, Jihoon notes. 

When Daniel’s arms reciprocate the hug, Jihoon is reminded of how warm and comforting Daniel’s hugs are; and how much he’s missed it.

“Are you here?” Jihoon’s eyes are wet when he lifts his head to look at Daniel, “Are you really here, right now? In front of me? Is this a dream?”

Daniel cracks a smile, one that Jihoon has missed so much. 

“It’s me, silly. I’m here, I’m back.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes Daniel a long time to convince Jihoon that this isn’t some crazy dream, and a longer time to convince Jihoon to let him into the house. By the time Jihoon wraps his head around the whole situation, he’s exhausted.

They sit down on the couch, apart, unsure of what to do.

“I… don’t understand? How did you know where I was? Did you fly here just for me?” Jihoon sputters, not sure what to ask Daniel first.

Daniel shifts closer to Jihoon, unhappy at the distance between them. 

“I didn’t forget about you, at all. I went to study law, I re-opened the case with my friend. I wanted to prove myself to you before I came looking for you.”

Jihoon remembers the news like yesterday. He’d waited, actually, for Daniel to call or message him after the news broke out. He never did, and Jihoon was sure that Daniel had forgotten all about him.

He chews on his lower lip, still unable to believe that Daniel is sitting beside him right now.

“It’s been four years,” Jihoon chokes out, unable to control his emotions in front of Daniel. He’s always let down his defences with Daniel. “I didn’t expect you to come back.”

Daniel’s hand immediately finds Jihoon’s, and they fit each other like a puzzle piece; but Jihoon already knows that. Daniel’s long and slender fingers still manage to send sensations through Jihoon’s entire body. Instantly, Jihoon feels safe again.

“Jihoon,” Daniel breathes out, and Jihoon notices that his voice is shaky too. “I’m sorry. For everything that happened back then. I fucked up, I was in the wrong. Give me another chance, please?”

Jihoon wants to look like he needs to think about this, but his heart and instincts betray him, and he nods almost as soon as the words escape Daniel’s mouth. 

It’s not just about giving Daniel a second chance, he wants to give himself a second chance too. He wants to give them – Jihoon and Daniel, a second chance at happiness.

Jihoon collapses into Daniel’s arms again like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“You’ve gown bigger,” Daniel comments as he gently caresses Jihoon’s back. “But you’ll always be my baby.”

Jihoon laughs, although he wants to gag and hit Daniel for using such a cringey remark. He’s delighted that the Kang Daniel from four years before hasn’t changed, and is almost transported back in time.

“I could say the same for you,” Jihoon replies, “What have you been doing the entire time?”

“Thinking of you?” Daniel says. 

_So have I._

“I’ve missed you, so fucking much,” Jihoon whispers, his fingers trailing all over Daniel’s face, thinking about how much he’s missed every part of Daniel. His fingers stop when they trail down to Daniel’s lips, ‘Especially this.”

“Can I?” Daniel asks, and Jihoon’s heart melts like the way it does four years ago.

All it takes is a nod for Daniel to connect their lips. Daniel’s hands tighten around Jihoon’s waist and Jihoon’s hands finds their way in Daniel’s hair – and it’s as soft as Jihoon remembers it to be.

They’ve kissed many times before, but this time takes the cake.

Daniel likes being gentle when he’s kissing Jihoon, but this time feels desperate and hungry. And Jihoon feels the same, he feels like he has to make up for the years they spent apart.

“I love you,” Daniel breathes in between their kisses.

“I love you more,” Jihoon replies, and he means it.

They would have continued if not for the ringing of the doorbell. Jihoon groans in frustration at the distraction and hops off the couch and goes to open the door.

“Two Hawaiian pizzas,” the delivery man says, holding out two boxes of pizza to Jihoon.

Jihoon doesn’t remember ordering anything, so he replies, “I didn’t order these. Did you get the wrong address?”

“Is this where Park Jihoon lives?” the delivery man asks.

Jihoon nods.

“I’m at the right place, these are yours. And they’ve already been paid for,” the delivery man hands the boxes into Jihoon’s open arms and leaves before Jihoon can protest.

Daniel is eyeing him suspiciously when he returns to the couch, now arms full of pizza. He’s already made himself comfortable, and Jihoon remembers how Daniel used to fill his small rooftop room.

“Pizza?” Jihoon offers as he opens the boxes, only to reveal a note inside one of the boxes.

_Happy birthday, best friend! Remember to use protection, I’ll sleep over at Daehwi’s tonight XD_

Jihoon screams in horror at Samuel’s innuendo.

“What’s wrong?” Daniel leaps off the couch, looking worried but is instantly grinning when he reads the message Samuel has left for the both of them. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Go what?” Jihoon stutters, feeling his face turn red.

“Go eat the free pizza Samuel got for us, what else?” Daniel asks, clearly enjoying Jihoon’s crisis. 

Jihoon clears his throat, “I hate you, Kang Daniel.”

Daniel grins cheekily, pulling Jihoon closer to him with an arm around his waist a he plants a kiss on Jihoon’s forehead. “If you hate me, then what are we?”

_“I said, what are we? Park Jihoon, I want to know what kind of relationship we are in.”_

Jihoon’s heart is about to fly out of his mouth and land on the floor when Daniel looks at him like that, and he’s thankful that Daniel is holding him steady because he can feel his knees going weak.

“I hate that I love you. We’re sort of boyfriends who are also enemies.”

Daniel sneaks another kiss onto Jihoon’s lips, grinning when Jihoon glares at him.

“Perfect.”

Jihoon thinks he can live with this.

Just knowing that Daniel is Kang Daniel and he is Park Jihoon. Their pasts don’t matter to him anymore, all Jihoon knows is that they are going to be okay.

“Are you for real this time?” Jihoon’s breath hitches when he asks.

Daniel cups Jihoon’s face in his hands, and Jihoon already knows his answers from his eyes. All his doubts disappear when he looks at Kang Daniel, and he believes him wholeheartedly.

“I am real. And I am yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for making it to the end of this story, i can't ever thank you all enough just for every kudos, bookmark or comment you guys leave me.
> 
> i'm sorry the last chapter took so long to come, i still hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> please know all your comments and praises make me smile like daniel makes jihoon smile <3
> 
> see you in my other stories, although i'm feeling so bittersweet about finally completing this one.
> 
> all the love, bapaldeul xoxo <3 i love you all!


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